32 Dry-Fly Fishing. 



much using or the strain of a struggling fish, to 

 flatten and slip from the hook. This far more often 

 occurs, alike with drawn as also natural gut, than 

 many anglers are aware of, but it can easily be 

 proved by examination of the end of the slipped 

 knot, which will be in a tiny curl. In most 

 instances, however, the jam knot is fairly reliable, 

 and is greatly in favour for its simplicity. 



The use of improperly preserved, brittle, or old, 

 unsound gut (often rendered so by prolonged 

 exposure to the air and light, and not kept from 

 both, especially between fishing seasons, by being 

 inclosed in washleather envelopes) are good reasons 

 why fish break away, often in the act of striking. 

 So also with even the best selected fine or stout gut, 

 if it be not thoroughly soaked in the damper box 

 and made pliable before using it. But that may be 

 overdone, and if so it will be deficient in strength, 

 and it should never be put away in the damper box 

 or it will become tender, perhaps rotten. About two 

 hours are enough to soften natural gut, but much 

 less will suffice for drawn, and a few strands of the 

 latter, to renovate frayed points or breakages, should 

 always be kept ready for immediate use, irrespective 

 of one's already -prepared collar or cast. And 

 further, on such made-pliable gut, flies are less 

 liable to be flicked off while casting. 



A dry-fly enthusiast, confident in his skill, very 



