8 



AN ANGLER'S YEAR 



and simply undone, the loop lying snugly round the eye 

 as in the jam knot, and the turn above preventing any 

 possibility of slipping. The end in the down-turned eyed 

 hook lies between the two wings along the body of the 

 hook, and prevents the tendency which the wings, 

 especially in the mayfly, have to stick together. The flies 

 should be kept in a partition box. not stuck in felt or cork, 

 as the wings should be crushed as little as possible, and 

 nothing should be carried in the box in the way of casts 

 or points. The best pattern I have seen is illustrated 



Fig. 6. Figure- 

 of-eight knot. 



Fig. 7. The Higgins Dry Fly Box. 



here, and is, I believe, called the Higgins Eyed Fly 

 Case, after Mr. Higgins, of the T.A.P.S. (Fig. 7.) The 

 best tackle for wet fly fishing has not been here dealt with 

 as such hardly comes within the purview of the chalk- 

 stream fisher. It must be said, however, that there are 

 many waters in our Southern countries where the wet-fly 

 may be used with great advantage. Indeed, I am 

 doubtful if a short course of wet-fly would not be of great 

 benefit to many of our over-fished dry-fly subscription 

 waters, where the over-educated trout have taken to 

 feeding on the larvae to the entire exclusion of the 

 winged insects. I have long been of opinion that the 

 prohibition of the minnow on some waters has tended to 



