THE OBJECT OF FISHING 15 



known to all. There is, however, so much fascin- 

 ation in this lure that, when he learns its powers and 

 appreciates its capabilities, he will in all likelihood, 

 as many others before him have done, discard most of 

 his present possessions, and devote all his attention 

 to his new acquisition. 



If that should happen, it is to be hoped that he 

 will not scorn, or pretend to scorn, other methods 

 of filling the basket, as well as those who continue 

 to use them, for without their years of research 

 and without the knowledge of trout and their ways 

 that the advocates of other lures have been the means 

 of furnishing, the art of dry-fly fishing would not 

 have been evolved. On one point all, who are 

 qualified by experience to pass an opinion, are in 

 agreement, viz. that the floating fly is the most 

 reliable and most sporting lure that has been per- 

 fected. 



It has been wisely said of fishing in general that 

 its practice is calculated to induce forgetfulness 

 of all worries that can render miserable the life of 

 man. The dry-fly fisher can claim, and, moreover, 

 easily substantiate his claim, that his branch of the 

 art of angling can never fail to produce complete 

 oblivion to all but the object in immediate view. 

 He must, of necessity, watch with engrossed atten- 

 tion for the rising trout, or determine from his 

 experience the exact position of an expectant one, 

 study and discuss with himself the difficulties of its 

 situation produced by contending currents formed 

 by stones or banks of weed seen and unseen, discover 

 the species of fly that is being pronounced acceptable 

 or is expected, and select its counterpart. 



His prospective victim may be an old and wary 



