ii2 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



unless its owner be very strong-minded. The 

 conversation of brother anglers, the comparison of 

 gear, and the trial of other rods that go on at 

 fishing inns or the waterside constitute a very 

 powerful incentive to extravagance. The other 

 man's rod always seems to possess such a sweet 

 action, his line is always so smooth and pliant, his 

 flies so well dressed, that one is consumed with a 

 desire to possess their likes without delay. But at 

 first let the novice be content with his own rod. It 

 is capable of catching fish, which is his first object ; 

 aestheticism in tackle can come later. Another 

 line, however, will be necessary. It should be like 

 the one he has in being smooth and pliant in its 

 dressing, but should be somewhat heavier in make, 

 tapering from D to F or G, according to the 

 ordinary scale. This will constitute what is known 

 as a " medium " dry-fly line, and the novice will 

 find it quite heavy enough for his rod and 

 purpose. 



Some men who use very stiff, powerful rods have 

 much heavier lines, with which they can throw a 

 long distance against a lot of wind. But my own 

 experience of these massive lines is that delicacy 

 of action is with them very difficult. One cannot, 

 at least I cannot, use very fine gut with a very heavy 

 reel-line. That may be a personal shortcoming, 



