THE AVIXCH. 



cut to get the casting line fairly forward. This makes the 

 fly fall heavily, -and overworks the rod-top. 



A plain click winch is the best. For trout it should be 

 not too heavy in the click, or the line will not pay out as 

 fast as it is required should a good fish make a run ; neither 

 should it be so light as to overrun or leave loose line on 

 the barrel. It should be capable of taking 'thirty or forty 

 yards of line of medium size easily ; it should be broad in 

 the plate, and not too wide between the plates. Avoid all 

 multiplying abominations as you would swearing, for the 

 one will be sure to produce the other by getting out of 

 order at the most critical moment. Having chosen rod, 

 line, and casting line, the next thing to settle upon will 

 be flies. In his choice of these the angler must be guided 

 by the time of year and the character of the water. I have 

 appended a list of flies selected from the best authors and 

 my own experience. This list is a long one, and, for all 

 general purposes, perhaps nearly half of the flies therein 

 mentioned are unnecessary ; many of them are tried fa- 

 vourites upon some waters, and cannot safely be discarded. 

 Those without any star affixed to them, in the condensed 

 list, are such as I myself have found to be good general 

 killers ; and with a fair selection of them, with a slight 

 variety as to size and colour for various waters, the angler 

 need never fear to attack any river in the kingdom, and 

 sure I am that if he cannot find a killer among them his 

 hopes of sport are very small. 



Before proceeding to fish, the angler had better pick out 

 a selection of those flies which he is most likely to want, 

 and arrange them in the handiest places in his book. One 

 never can tell exactly what one may require, but there are 

 always several flies which are probable, and a few of these 

 will be more than likely, and from them he will select his 

 first cast. He should then always set up a spare cast of 

 flies, so that if he meets with an accident or requires to 



