DRY FLY FISHING 71 



doubt its being possible in practice, for it must 

 be a matter almost of hundredths of an inch, 

 and the angler had better make up his mind 

 that the gut must float over the trout first, and 

 make his plans accordingly. If the trout is 

 rising close under the bank and directly in a line 

 above me, I have found the better plan to be to 

 make the fly alight only a few inches above it : 

 in this position some of the gut must not only 

 float, but fall directly over the trout, and it is 

 better that only the finest of the gut should do 

 so. Sometimes a trout is attracted by seeing the 

 fly actually alight upon the surface, but person- 

 ally I do not think it is advisable to pitch the 

 fly as a rule very close to the fish, and however 

 lightly the cast may be made, I would rather that 

 the fish did not notice the fly at all, till it 

 arrives before him floating without motion of 

 its own upon the surface. 



If the trout is not close under the bank, but 

 only near to it with a space of open water be- 

 tween, it is better to throw the fly a yard or more 

 up stream, sometimes two yards above is not too 

 much, for the further the fly is cast with a slant- 

 ing line above the trout, the less near to its head 



