DRY FLY FISHING 73 



for the angler to do, but to scare the trout by 

 dragging the fly and gut up stream over its head 

 in the most unnatural manner. This, how- 

 ever, applies only to trout that are rising in a 

 direct line below the angler ; with others there 

 are modifications of the down stream method 

 which are possible and more satisfactory, and 

 which I think are too much neglected. It is 

 obvious that with all its drawbacks the down 

 stream method has this advantage, that the fish 

 sees the fly before the gut, and when the angle'r 

 is casting to a fish under the opposite bank, 

 or on the further side of a fairly broad stream, 

 he should use as much of the down stream 

 method as he can. By kneeling down as far 

 back from the edge of the bank as possible, 

 the angler can get opposite or nearly opposite 

 to such fish without frightening them, and if 

 having done this, he can make a cast so that 

 the last foot or more of gut with the fly at 

 the end of it is curved down stream, while the 

 body of the line is either straight or convex 

 across the stream, he will have combined the 

 advantages of the down stream method, and at 

 the same time have got rid of its drawbacks. 



