176 THE FINE ART OF FISHING 



variation of shade or shape proved the deciding factor 

 in the day's success. 



Every angler likes to fish a new, well-tied fly. There 

 are times, however, and this is worth remembering, 

 when the oldest, most frayed out nondescript in the fly- 

 book will succeed despite the fact that the latest spring 

 fashions in artificial bugs have failed dismally. Such a 

 ragged veteran as this, with a torn wing and body 

 partly unravelled and trailing, seems at times to have an 

 almost hypnotic influence over reluctant fish. The 

 grizzly king, a very good general fly bordering on the 

 fancy, is usually tied with a red tail. As an instance 

 of the occasional importance of small differentiations in 

 the artificial fly it may be said that in some localities 

 this fly is of almost no use unless the red tail is removed. 



As a rule the fly-book of the experienced angler con- 

 tains flies of comparatively few patterns in regard to 

 color, while as regards variation of size the range is 

 wide. Every fly-caster comes in time to depend upon 

 a certain few flies which have served him well, and a 

 plentiful supply of these favorites dressed on hooks of 

 various sizes, is all that he asks. The coachman is the 

 most generally useful trout fly and aside from it there 

 is no other fly upon which two anglers are wont to 

 agree. While it is true that a restricted fly list is wholly 

 competent on waters which the angler has fished many 

 times and knows like a book, it is also true that in 

 strange waters the angler who plays his aforetime fav- 

 orites to the exclusion of reputedly successful local 

 patterns is inviting disappointment. 



