88 



suitable. I have tried longer rods but discarded 

 them. Long rods are too awkward and tiring, and 

 much less accurate than a stiffish, single handed fly 

 rod. A three yards gut-cast tapered to 4X is 

 recommended, but if the wind is very strong and 

 against the fisherman, a shorter cast can be sub- 

 stituted, as the light^ big fly is difficult to get out 

 against the wind, and a yard more ordinary line is 

 helpful. In casting there is little danger of flick- 

 ing off the fly if the swing of the rod is steady and 

 without jerk. 



Starting at the lower end of the water to be 

 fished the runs under the banks, and round the big 

 stones, present no particular difficulty if the edges 

 can be waded. 



But before proceeding further a very important 

 point in stone-fly fishing should be explained. 

 When I first started this kind of fishing I found that 

 the fish in rising to the large fly, more often than 

 not missed it. Trout seem to gobble the creeper 

 savagely, but suck in the stone-fly. I mentioned 

 this point to " Bob," and, although I never knew him 

 fish this fly, he said at once, " Ye should nip off 

 hauf et wings." This I did with a pair of scissors 

 and the whole business took on quite a different 

 aspect, for, from that day very few fish were 

 missed. 



