270 DRY-FLY FISHING 



of casting and the use of an absolutely dry fly, 

 and demands that the rod be in the striking posi- 

 tion from the instant the lure alights upon the 

 water ; a short, tight line likewise contributes 

 materially to success, but there is not the slightest 

 doubt that the fish must be rising with deadly 

 intent, and not merely amusing themselves, if 

 any success at all is to be obtained. 



Now the small sedges pass away, and in their 

 place arrives a much larger variety whose pre- 

 sence we are soon made aware of by a tickling 

 sensation on hands, face and neck. Obeying the 

 sign we replace the cast with one of stouter build 

 larger flies demand heavier gut and to it we 

 attach two specimens of the Cinnamon Sedge. 

 These are not very satisfactory imitations of the 

 particular fly on the water, but it is the best we 

 can do until we become possessed of patterns of 

 the Auld Hen, a famous Tweed night fly. That 

 represents a large caddis- or sedge-fly which appears 

 in June and July just as darkness falls ; it is usually 

 fished wet and downstream, but we prefer that it 

 should float on the surface as the living creature 

 does. 



It is rather early yet for the trout to take this pat- 

 tern freely, but, not knowing the moment the late 

 rise may begin, we start once more at the bottom of 

 the stream and fish up. Without the least encour- 

 agement we almost complete the stretch, and are 

 on the point of deciding that no sport remains 

 for us when a trout rises some] distance downstream. 

 Carefully gauging the length of line required, we 

 lay the flies on the track, reaching out and lower- 

 ing the rod as the line straightens out. The trout 



