THE FLY-ROD. 99 



it. A great many different methods of making up 

 fly-casts are practised by anglers. Some append 

 them by loops, but loops make such a show in the 

 water that we never have one in any part of our 

 line, and to have the droppers depended by them 

 we consider perfectly suicidal. Others join the 

 main line together by the single slip-knot, which 

 is drawn asunder, and the end of the thread of 

 gut on which the fly is dressed having had a knot 

 put on it to prevent it from slipping, is inserted, 

 when the knot is drawn together again. In point 

 of neatness this is less objectionable, but is apt to 

 slip, as all single knots are. The neatest and most 

 secure method is the one first described, and all 

 anglers should adopt it. 



The number of flies that should be used at a 

 time is a matter upon which great diversity of 

 opinion exists ; some anglers never use more than 

 three, while others occasionally use a dozen. If 

 the river is so large that the angler cannot reach 

 the opposite bank, he may use as many as he can 

 throw properly ; but if the river can be commanded 

 from bank to bank, the propriety, under any cir- 

 cumstances, of using more than three or four is 

 exceedingly doubtful. In such cases the opposite 

 bank is the place where most trout are to be had, 

 and if a number of flies are used, and they are all 

 kept in the water, justice cannot be done to the 

 tail-fly, which alone reaches the opposite bank, and 

 has therefore the best chance. 



The fly-cast should be joined to the casting-line 



