174 THE DR Y FLY AND FAST WATER 



to believe, however, that they are mistaken by 

 the fish for some form of life, perhaps having 

 the appearance of caddis larvae. The spruce 

 needles were probably mistaken for willow flies, 

 or some of the family of Perlidcs those with 

 wings that fold along the back. 



That the fish was taken the following morn- 

 ing on the Mole, which certainly imitated no 

 insect with which he may have been familiar, 

 perhaps means nothing. As he was feeding 

 regularly, and rather indiscriminately, he was 

 probably an easy fish to take. The Mole was 

 just another morsel that looked natural enough. 

 The first cast took him, the fly drifting up to 

 him after having been cast over the boulder at 

 the bottom of the eddy. The leader was not 

 seen, and as the fly appeared in a natural, up- 

 right position, his suspicion was not aroused, 

 and a minute or two later he was in the net. 

 Withal, the fish showed a decided preference for 

 living insects, and refused those which were cer- 

 tainly no deader than an artificial fly; and yet 

 the Mole was taken with just as much confi- 

 dence as if it had been a living thing. I think 

 it quite within reason that any pattern of fly 

 properly presented would have taken the fish 

 as readily as did the fly which he rose to, and 

 my conclusion is that it was because of its 



