OBJECTIONS ANSWERED 29 



involves the purchase of a special rod, reel and line, 

 gut and flies. It is certainly true that the dry-fly 

 angler becomes so much enamoured of his art, that 

 he cannot know contentment until he has every- 

 thing in keeping with it and worthy of it. Dry-fly 

 fishing does not require these things ; it deserves 

 them. 



Any rod will serve for a beginning, but if it chance 

 to be a light single-handed weapon, the initial 

 attempts will be more enjoyable, and proficiency 

 will not be long delayed. Special flies are not even 

 necessary. Almost any wet-fly river pattern will 

 kill a trout, if it is made to float by being oiled 

 or touched with vaseline. The fly-fisher's present 

 possessions can be made to serve, and will be 

 sufficient to convince him that a dry-fly is a more 

 fascinating lure than any he has previously used. 

 The acquisition of more suitable appliances will 

 follow inevitably, and all expenditure will be cheer- 

 fully incurred. 



Again, the objector says that the art is difficult 

 to acquire and necessitates years of practice. He 

 dismisses the suggestion that he should try dry-fly 

 fishing with, " It is far too scientific for me/' We 

 do not advise anyone on his first expedition to the 

 river to attempt the capture of a trout by means of 

 a floating fly ; such a thing would strike us as some- 

 what ridiculous. The angler must go through an 

 apprenticeship, a long course of clear-water worm- 

 fishing, so that he may learn something of the haunts 

 of trout, their favourite lies in burns and rivers, 

 practise the art of self -concealment, and acquire 

 experience in bringing a captive to the net or bank ; 

 following this would come some wet-fly fishing in 



