H2 DRY-FLY FISHING 



loss of time or expenditure of energy, or is open 

 to any objection, there is another course open to 

 him. 



He should try his hand at " shooting the line." 

 If he will pull off another yard from the reel, hold 

 it between the forefinger and thumb of the left 

 hand, and make his usual cast, he will at a certain 

 moment be aware of a distinct pull on the slack 

 line. Had he released his grip at that moment, 

 the line would have shot forward. This is one 

 of the easiest tricks to learn and the secrets of success 

 are: Cast as usual, let go when the line asks for 

 it, and do not attempt to shoot the maximum all 

 at once. In this way the flies can be neatly placed 

 one or two yards beyond the usual distance- 

 experts can shoot several yards and on occasions 

 facility in this art may prove valuable. As it is 

 possible to deliver more line than may be held up 

 by the rod, the part shot must be recovered by 

 hand before the back-cast is made. For obvious 

 reasons, the angler when wading must be content 

 with less distance than he who fishes from the bank 

 can command ; anyone can cast farther from a 

 height than from the water and, moreover, slack 

 line long enough to reach the water cannot be satis- 

 factorily shot. 



Under the heading of tactics we may examine 

 another item of advice that is not uncommonly 

 given to the dry-fly fisher. He is recommended 

 to recover his fly at once if it does not fall correctly, 

 that is, right side up, and deliver it again. A fly 

 floating in an unnatural position may awake sus- 

 picion in a trout, but a fly plucked off the water, 

 however gently it be done, will, we feel convinced, 



