A Dry -Fly Purist's Advice to a Beginner. 19 



appliances which I recommend him to use during 

 his novitiate, and afterwards, until he can improve 

 upon them, are set forth as follows. I am obliged 

 to mention a few names of firms to indicate 

 excellence of manufacture, but I by no means intend 

 to say that some of their productions may not be 

 matched elsewhere, or be even better. There 

 certainly is room, all round, for more skill to be 

 displayed in fly dressing, so as to imitate the natural 

 insects with greater accuracy, if indeed that be a 

 sine qua non. 



There has of late been so much controversy about 

 fly rods, and the issue is so confusing, that I can 

 only prudently recommend the rod that suits me on 

 our southern chalk streams, namely, Hardy's eleven- 

 foot " Perfection " rod. It is in two pieces (not 

 steel centred), with cork handle and butt cap. A 

 spear I never use, because it not only adds a little 

 to the weight, but the chief objection to it is that it 

 dirts one's hands and clothes every time it is drawn 

 out of the ground and used, as mud or more 

 objectionable soil clings to it. The rod is fitted 

 with all modern improvements, and as it weighs only 

 eleven ounces, it can easily be wielded single-handed, 

 and in need held out at arm's length to add a few 

 feet to a long-distance shoot cast ; I have had mine 

 in constant use for seven years, without repair. It 

 is indeed worthy of its distinguishing name of 



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