54 Dry -Fly Fishing. 



nondescript flies prove killers. He is also likely to 

 be satisfied with fewer patterns, and the delight he 

 finds in his sport is much increased by tempting the 

 quarry to destruction by his own handiwork. 

 Further, he can choose the hooks he most affects, 

 and keep to a uniformity of make, which is 

 certainly desirable. But if he has no leisure or 

 inclination for fly- making (and it may here be 

 observed that, notwithstanding some popular works 

 on the subject, comparatively very few out of the 

 host of fly-fishers seem to care for the trouble of 

 it), there are some fairly good professional fly- 

 dressers with whom orders can be placed with some 

 chance of instructions being carried out and one's 

 samples imitated. On the other hand, there are 

 many who never take any care whatever to gain 

 hints from the study of natural flies ; they are alike 

 careless in their tying and fastening off, and in the 

 selection of hooks, with the result that a good 

 many of "the cheap flies sold so readily in shops are 

 really worthless. It would be invidious to mention 

 names, but one or two are widely known as among 

 the best. 



I am not wishful to raise any controversy as to 

 the limit or excessive number of flies which some 

 anglers consider necessary to use, for it is too large 

 a subject for the space at my disposal, and, moreover, 

 is full of theories ; but I am able to prove by my 



