70 Dry -Fly Fishing. 



casual observer is near. There are many methods 

 of casting, or rather of presenting, one's fly, 

 modifications or improvements of instructions to be 

 found in books, which are learned only in constant 

 practice, and are therefore secrets it is well to retain 

 for one's own benefit. One, for example, is to be 

 able to cast a fly so that it falls delicately on a 

 slack, curved line a foot or two in front of a rising 

 fish, and thus to postpone for some important 

 seconds the usual drag of the fly, which sooner 

 occurs on a fully extended straight line. 



Wading while only trout fishing is often quite 

 unnecessary, and should be avoided as much as 

 possible. I never wade. It disturbs the water, 

 scares the fish away from under or near the banks , 

 probably crushes and kills larvae and other fish-food 

 in the gravel or on the weeds. And it always 

 seems a little unfair to other men who follow to fish 

 the same water who do not wade. Granted, in 

 some rivers it may be needed to increase one's 

 sport for instance, in such rivers as the Derwent ; 

 but there, as in other shallow streams, worn in 

 places by winter floods into eddies, shelving pitfalls, 

 and suddenly deep holes, an element of danger 

 lurks. And it may be added that habitual waders 

 run the risk of suffering afterwards from rheuma- 

 tism and other kindred infirmities brought on by 

 exposure and damp. 



