INSTRUCTIONS 95 



and to it attach two flies bearing as close a resemb- 

 lance as possible to the insect he has just captured. 

 The flies should be fixed by means of the simple 

 but very reliable knot described and illustrated 

 on page 51, dipped in Nature, and dried with filter- 

 paper. A drop of this liquid or a little of the 

 line-dressing should be taken between the finger 

 and thumb of the left hand and applied to the 

 whole cast excepting a foot on each side of the 

 dropper and a similar length at the tail. Nature 

 must not be allowed to touch the line, as it has a 

 solvent effect on the waterproof dressing. 



Everything being now in order, he should enter 

 the water quietly about the middle of the flat, 

 where will be a good wave caused by the wind blow- 

 ing against the current, and when knee-deep turn 

 to face upstream. We cannot tell him the correct 

 length of line to use because that varies with the 

 individual. He should pull off about a yard at 

 a time from the reel, make a false cast in the air 

 when the slack line will run out, and continue to 

 do this until he has the length with which he has 

 been accustomed to do his finest casting with 

 the wet-fly. 



He must not on any account dip the point of 

 the rod in the water and give it a sudden jerk to 

 get out the line. This is a trick practised by hosts 

 of anglers ; but it is none the less a most unneces- 

 sary proceeding at any time, and fatal when dry-fly 

 fishing, because it removes most effectively the 

 benefits conferred by the dressing applied to the 

 line. 



He is now ready to begin casting the dry-fly, 

 and first and foremost he must remember not to 



