182 DRY-FLY FISHING 



to cast into the wind, an accomplishment valuable 

 on the river. For this work the angler should 

 prepare a shorter cast of stouter build, and he would 

 be well advised to discard the dropper-fly. There 

 are good reasons for these recommendations. Fine 

 gut is not so essential in the jabble of wave, and is 

 more difficult to cast and manipulate than a heavier 

 quality. Even the most expert will at such times 

 contrive to tangle up his cast, and the presence of 

 only one fly as well as the use of stouter gut reduces 

 very much the possibility of this annoyance occur- 

 ring. 



If he knows the loch well, he may, for the sake of 

 variety and ease, wade out as far as may be and cast 

 his flies across the waves ; and, whenever he finds a 

 projecting point, he will without hesitation accept 

 the chance of an easy cast in the sheltered bay. 

 Long casting off a lee shore is unnecessary hard 

 labour, for the trout lie very near the edge amid 

 the turmoil caused by the incoming waves meeting 

 those reflected off the land ; there they lurk, taking 

 as they want them the flies swinging to and fro on 

 the surface. 



When trout are not rising, it is dreary, monotonous 

 work casting a dry-fly at random upon a loch, unless, 

 of course, hopefulness is stimulated and encouraged 

 now and then by an offer accepted or missed. We 

 find that we can remain contented for a longer time 

 on a dour day, when we fish the wet-fly, than we 

 can when we use its floating relative. The dry-fly 

 is cast, left to float for a time, lifted, and cast again ; 

 that is all. The wet-fly, on the other hand, must be 

 brought shorewards and may be subjected to a large 

 variety of motions in the process ; there is much 



