DRY-FLY PRELIMINARIES. in 



quarry, its food and habits. It seems worthy of 

 note that the " purist " as a rule is a man who has 

 served a long apprenticeship at other kinds of 

 fishing before finally giving himself up to the dry 

 fly, which argues that after much experience of 

 fishes and methods of catching them he has come 

 to the conclusion that the greatest amount of 

 tranquil pleasure is to be got out of the use of 

 the dry fly. But it is largely a personal matter. 

 I know several expert dry-fly men who prefer 

 roach fishing, others who are happier with their 

 cast of three flies whipping some northern burn, 

 and yet others who in the midst of the Mayfly 

 season may be heard sighing for autumn and 

 the pike rod. Happiest, I think, are those 

 who have no marked preference, but welcome 

 every opportunity for fishing of any kind when- 

 ever and wherever it comes. The novice, at 

 any rate, if he agrees with my view, and falls in 

 with the suggestions made in these pages, will be 

 in a position to decide after due trial of many 

 methods which he finds most attractive. 



Before he starts on the dry fly he will have to 

 procure a little more tackle in addition to what he 

 already has. The rod which he has used in wet-fly 

 fishing will do well enough for the dry fly, at any 

 rate to begin with. Later I will not answer for it, 



