HOW TO KEEP FLIES. 201 



with less force and abruptness, and cause the line to 

 describe more of a circle behind you, as the slightest 

 4 flick ' or ' crack ' will necessitate putting on a new fly. 

 At every cast you may let out a foot or two of line, until 

 you get out as much as you can cast. I have seen anglers 

 who could cast near a dozen yards of line with a live fly 

 at the end, with the slightest air or wind behind them. 

 A long, light, and especially a pliable rod (more parti- 

 cularly at the top) is required for this kind of fishing ; 

 and though it is very deadly, it is not equal, of course, to 

 the blow-line, while it affords as much sport as, and 

 requires more skill than, casting with the artificial fly ; 

 but it has its drawbacks. It is ' finicking,' fidgetty work. 

 The constant renewing of the flies, and the great care 

 required in casting, the necessity for avoiding carefully 

 every leaf and twig, make it a troublesome business at 

 the best, though it is almost always, in suitable weather, 

 when practised by an adept, productive of a good basket. 

 In May-fly fishing, of course, one of the requisites is a 

 good supply of fine fresh green May flies the greener or 

 yellower the better. Eschew as much as possible the black 

 and shiny transformation, as the fish greatly prefer the 

 freshly-hatched insect ; these it is most desirable to have 

 caught on the morning of fishing, if possible. They should 

 be kept in a small basket made for the purpose, and sold 

 at many tackle-makers ; this is semicircular in form, like 

 a soldier's canteen in fact, and has a lid and an aperture 

 whence the flies can be taken as they are required. The 

 basket is strapped to the waist by a leathern strap, and 

 thus can be arranged wherever it may be found most con- 

 venient to the hand. 



There are many other natural flies and insects that can 

 be used in daping, as the stone fly, the alder fly, the blue- 

 bottle, the daddy longlegs, the coch-y-bondu, the cinna- 

 mon, &c. ; almost any fly or beetle that is large enough to 



