84 Artificial-Fly Fishing. 



process may be accomplished almost as quickly as 

 any angler could fit up a jointed rod with its reel 

 and attach his fly-cast. 



The fisher is now fully armed for the fray 

 unless, indeed, in view of catastrophes, he requires 

 to be fortified internally as well, in which case, 

 of course, the "pocket-pistol," with the regulation 

 number of barrels, will be in urgent request. It is 

 not advisable, however, at any time to discount a 

 catastrophe; and I should not recommend the 

 angler to vote urgency till he has either landed a 

 two-pounder or lost one. In the former case " death 

 and glory" may well go hand in hand; in the 

 latter, thus may grief most fittingly be "crowned 

 with consolation." And yet, when the " take is 

 on," the fisher will find it perhaps more profitable 

 not to spend much time in either exulting over his 

 gains or wailing over his losses, but to draw from 

 both alike, instead of from the flask, the incentive 

 to redoubled efforts, till the lull of battle leave 

 him space to count the slain and celebrate the 

 triumph. 



Until he attains to some degree of expertness in 

 casting, the beginner should use a short rod of ten 

 or eleven feet, with a hair-line of twelve or fifteen 

 feet, and a length of gut in proportion, carrying not 

 more than half-a-dozen flies. To simplify matters 

 a little at first, let him select for practice an open 



