14 Dry -Fly Fishing. 



must be considered as chiefly in his interests. 

 And although I have no thought of dogmatising 

 for every successful fly-fisherman is entitled to his 

 own opinions I have a decided disposition to call 

 in question some theories, fallacies, and fads which 

 .a few people who have the reputation of experts 

 continually indulge in and disseminate ; indeed, I 

 .aim to show that success with the dry-fly is not 

 difficult of attainment, if certain common- sense 

 rules he observed and carried out in practice, and if 

 the novice will follow advice I can promise him 

 some good sport. 



In selecting his outfit he may well be confused 

 .and bewildered by the number of advertisements 

 which meet his eye, nearly every one of them 

 claiming merit in the superlative degree for the 

 .articles they puff ; and therefore anyone who enters 

 a shop without knowing exactly what he wants, or, 

 if he do know, without the requisite ability to 

 choose discriminately, may easily be misled into 

 the purchase of unsuitable wares. The needs of a 

 dry-fly fisher are in fact very simple, but very special, 

 and his aim must be to secure only the best of every- 

 thing. That is not so easy as it would appear to be 

 from the advertisements ; for instance, what is the 

 best trout-reel to choose ? Where can he depend 

 on finding the longest and finest silkworm gut ? 

 It is unfortunately not an uncommon occurrence to 



