50 Dry-Fly Fishing. 



in only weigh l^oz. A capacious white willow 

 creel, 17in. wide, with leather shoulder strap and 

 buckle, weigh lib. 15oz. The latter can be utilized, 

 when not over the shoulder, to strap round the creel, 

 and to carry it by hand, right or left, and thus ease 

 the burden (often heavy with the spoils of the day), 

 or as more convenient to lift in or on alighting 

 from a train, or to shift with other luggage on a 

 long journey. The total weight of all this (hardly 

 to be called burden) is under 41b.~ 



And while one is actively on the warpath by the 

 riverside this weight may be reduced more than half 

 by hanging up the emptied creel on the bough of a 

 tree, or hiding it in the sedge, and instead of carry- 

 ing it about all day, with the additional weight of 

 fish killed, making use of the two nets referred 

 to above to retain the fish alive as they are 

 brought to grass. A good deal might be added 

 about an angler's dress, but I will only refer to it 

 briefly. I dress according to the weather, but not 

 in heavy garments, nor do I wear high, clumsy 

 water boots or leggings. And as I never wade I 

 am not encumbered w r ith brogues, fishing stockings, 

 wading trousers, et hoc genus omne. One conse- 

 quence of not wading is that I have never had even 

 a touch of rheumatism. I am, at present, a fair- 

 weather angler, guided by the forecast for each day I 

 intend to wield the rod, but I have never of late 



