18 Dry -Fly Fishing. 



brought near shore ready to land, need one move a 

 muscle to touch the net, but then unhook the ring 

 by the free fingers of the left hand, when as the net 

 slips down take the handle and shoot the net out, 

 slightly in an upward direction to make the knuckle- 

 joint lock, thus fully distending the net, ready to 

 quietly lift out the gasping quarry. I say quietly 

 advisedly, for it is no uncommon thing to see a fish 

 landed by a violent jerk out of the net, enough 

 to smash it, whereas all that is required is to place 

 it in the water under the fish, lift the hoop round 

 him. and he is soon at the bottom of the net 

 perfectly safe, nor is any hurry needed. I generally 

 kneel when bringing a fish towards the net and 

 over it, keeping out of sight as much as possible, so 

 as not to scare him to make a final effort. It is an 

 art to use the net properly, and to land one's own 

 fish very much adds to the p]easure and excitement 

 of the sport, and if anything does go wrong, then 

 one has only one's self to blame. 



And here let me say, absurd as it may seem to 

 the uninitiated, there is a certain amount of fashion 

 to follow alike in the rod and tackle chosen, as also 

 in the angler's dress : he must be up to date in all 

 respects, if he would escape criticism, perhaps some 

 good-natured bantering, not to say chaff. 



First, then, the various sorts of tackle and 



