54 THE FINE ART OF FISHING 



forms a film on the water, which is distinctly and detri- 

 mentally visible to the fish. 



"Having now got within easy range of the rising 

 fish, the angler's object is to drop the fly about two or 

 three feet above him, so that it shall come down in a 

 natural position, with its wings erect (or 'cocked/ as we 

 call it). It should fall on the water quite lightly, and 

 the least splash of the line is fatal, the fish in these 

 waters apparently having eyes all over as well as in 

 their heads. It is important that the fly should travel 

 at precisely the same pace as other natural flies which 

 are floating freely on the water, otherwise a ripple or 

 drag is set up, and our fish will not look at a fly which 

 has the slightest suspicion of drag. 



"Drag is very difficult to overcome under some con- 

 ditions; it is caused by the stream running faster in 

 some parts than in others ; for instance, if one is casting 

 across a river, and the water in the center is running 

 faster than at the side on which the fly falls, 

 the pull of the current on the line tends to draw the fly 

 faster than the water around it, and this sets up 'posi- 

 tive drag/ If, on the other hand, owing to the con- 

 formation of the stream, the water is running more 

 rapidly at the side where the fly falls than it is in the 

 center where the line falls, then the line will hold 

 back the fly and set up drag of another kind 'negative 

 drag/ 



"If all these various difficulties are overcome, and if 

 the fly happens to appeal to the fish as a suitable morsel, 

 it is taken, often with a great show of confidence. The 

 subsequent proceedings are exciting, but are, of course, 



