42 Dry -Fly Fishing. 



Granted, it may make a fly float, but very often it 

 does so on its side rather than as it should, and 

 must do for success, upright, or, as we anglers say, 

 " cocked." It certainly softens and impairs the 

 strength of gut, so that the gut point which forms 

 the jam knot affixed to an eyed hook flattens, and 

 then often slips off while being whirled through 

 the air during the drying process, or when a hooked 

 and desperately fighting fish strains it. I am 

 confident of this being the case from experience, for 

 I have often taken special note of it by looking at 

 the end of the gut, when a fish is supposed to have 

 broken away, and in several instances the gut has 

 shown that the knot had slipped and was the real 

 cause. It is almost impossible to prevent the eye 

 of the hook from being lubricated to some extent, 

 however careful one may be. The Turle knot is 

 perhaps safer at any time, but no doubt it is when 

 paraffin is used, or when the eye of the hook is 

 large and the gut then too fine ; it is not so simple 

 as tying the jam knot. On the whole question, for 

 or against the oil, I incline to class it amongst the 

 many unnecessary things the dry-fly fisher carries. 

 If fishing in extensive and quite private water, I 

 sometimes carry, instead of a drum net, two small 

 bag-shaped nets, rather broad than deep, and each 

 large enough to hold a brace or two of good- 

 sized fish. They are made of netting thread,. 



