28 DRY-FLY FISHING 



employed on a greater variety of waters. Many 

 misconceptions still exist, and these we endeavour 

 to remove. 



Frequently it is objected against the dry-fly that 

 its use is confined to a few streams smooth flowing 

 and of crystal clearness in the South of England. 

 There can be no greater fallacy ; but it persists, 

 in spite of numerous attempts to eradicate it. What 

 has been declared is to the effect that on such streams 

 the dry-fly is the only lure worth using, from which 

 the only logical inference is that it will be extremely 

 good on less difficult waters. If it is deadly on the 

 chalk-stream inhabited by heavy, wary, well-fed 

 trout, it should be effective everywhere, and it is 

 Wherever a natural fly will float, wherever a trout 

 can lie, there also will a dry-fly sail, and entice fish 

 to their doom. 



By means of the floating fly we have killed trout, 

 not one or two specimens, stupid or tired of life, 

 but fine creels of wary fish, not diminutive, ignorant 

 fingerlings, but grandest trout of highly desirable 

 dimensions on all sorts of waters throughout Scot- 

 land ; e.g. on the Clyde from Carstairs to the head- 

 waters of Daer and Potrail, on Tweed from St. 

 Boswells to Talla, on the lochs of Islay and Bute, 

 on reservoirs and ornamental ponds, on the brawling 

 Stanhope Water, on the sluggish Balvaig, on Loch 

 Dochart, Loch Voil, and Loch Lubnaig, on the smallest 

 of burns, on the rivers of Fifeshire, in wild, rocky 

 Glen Shee and Strathardle, on Loch Leven itself, 

 in fact, everywhere that we have gone in pursuit 

 of the trout. 



Another objection sometimes raised is that the 

 practice is attended with enormous expense, that it 



