A Dry-Fly Purist's Advice to a Beginner. 81 



and causing a sort of competition as to who shall 

 outdo another in propagating a greater falsehood, 

 and, in enigmatical language to the uninitiated, "take 

 the cake," whatever that may mean? It is a 

 reprehensible treatment of the subject, bringing 

 suspicion, if not disgrace, on the whole fraternity, 

 and the sooner right-minded men set their faces 

 against it the better. I have never known even a 

 suspected instance among my friends who are dry-fly 

 fishermen of an intentional violation of the truth. 

 Of course, exaggeration may occur without any 

 intention to deceive when a man guesses at the 

 weight of fish he has killed, and more especially of 

 one hooked and masterfully held until it broke 

 away. Indeed, it is a common remark that a so lost 

 fish is always a big one, and people incredulously 

 smile as they hear it. But it is not necessarily 

 erroneous, for a large, desperate trout is the most 

 likely to fight for his freedom and obtain it. 



Avoid controversy on moot questions and subjects 

 connected with angling. It is impossible for a man 

 breathing atmospheric air to put himself into the 

 position and understand the life of a fish respiring 

 through his gills in a different element, and argue 

 matters from his (the fish's) point of view, mind, or 

 instincts. But that is what some fly-fishers and 

 many theorists are always trying to do. 



There is a good deal yet to learn about the life- 



G 



