172 DRY-FLY FISHING 



off to the friendly shelter of a neighbouring belt of 

 sighing reeds, but, having no desire to lose the prize 

 so curiously won, we stopped the rush and steered 

 the fish to the net. The fly was dried and sent out 

 again upon the waters ; again it enticed an equally 

 agile trout from the depths. 



Hints such as these are meant to be taken. 

 Hurriedly we removed the wet-flies from the cast 

 and to it attached two floating patterns, a Green- 

 well's Glory and a Red Quill, from a little assortment 

 that goes with us wherever we go. Round the loch 

 we worked contentedly, laying the flies along the 

 edge of reeds and on any open water, not in answer 

 to any invitation, but just as fancy decreed, and 

 the day that promised so badly proved to be one 

 of the best. 



The possibilities of the dry-fly as a lure for the 

 loch, so clearly demonstrated on that occasion, have 

 since been frequently and successfully put to the 

 test, and the result is that a large selection of dry- 

 flies and all the attendant necessaries now invariably 

 accompany the usual impedimenta on any loch- 

 fishing expedition. It has been many a time 

 abundantly proved that, under certain conditions, 

 the floating fly is as productive of sport on lochs 

 as it undoubtedly is on running water. Nor is it 

 of limited application. It can be profitably used 

 in calm and in storm, when trout are rising to the 

 surface, and often too when no sign of life is visible. 



The trout in lochs differ in many respects from 

 their relatives of the stream, more particularly in 

 their habits of feeding. The river-trout appears to 

 know that, if he allows a fly to float past, he will 

 not have another opportunity of securing it ; there- 



