A Dry-Fly Purist's Advice to a Beginner. 5 



of every sound and motion. The sun, as yet not 

 very high, is opposite to you, the wind lightly blows 

 obliquely across and up-stream. A few black gnats 

 are floating down under your bank, but they are all 

 unheeded by several trout clearly in view ; you think 

 (contrary to the advice you have recently received) 

 that you will make a cast at a venture, and there- 

 fore draw off from your winch a few yards of line 

 (it is a mistake, until you are a practised hand, to 

 have more than you can throw out straight), release 

 the fly, wave the rod to and fro to get the line well 

 out (not over the water yet), and then make a trial 

 cast along the grass yes! that is about the right 

 distance to reach the fish that is nearest to you. 

 And now you make a real cast, the wind favouring 

 it, and your red quill on hook falls about three feet 

 beyond its objective, and as it sails over his nose he 

 moves slightly up to it in an inquiring manner, but 

 does not take it. You try again, and your fly 

 catches fast on some overhanging dry and sere 

 sedge, tough as tow ; but, alas ! while creeping up 

 to release it, the fish are scared and slope away to 

 the middle of the river, hiding for a time under the 

 weeds as is their wont. 



To gradually shorten and then to lift the line out 

 of the water after a cast over a fish has failed of a 

 good result, the rod, partly raised, must be firmly 

 held in the right hand the butt pressing on to 



