MATTER OF EQUIPMENT 15 



ditions, and also under the conditions as he 

 finds them. He must familiarize himself by 

 much actual stream experience with the habits 

 of the trout learn to read a trout stream as 

 another man might read a book. Moreover, he 

 should cultivate the power of observation and 

 apply it constantly to stream-life in general and 

 the insect life of the stream in particular. 



The correct fundamental theory of fly-fishing 

 for trout, with either wet or dry flies, consists 

 in the closest possible simulation, by means of 

 an artificial fly, of the form, coloration, and ac- 

 tion of some natural insect then upon the water 

 and upon which the trout are feeding. In 

 England this theory has always been very 

 closely followed by expert fly-fishermen, al- 

 though over there, as in this country, various 

 fancy flies not dressed to counterfeit any cer- 

 tain natural fly have long been in successful 

 use. In England it is the custom of many good 

 fly-fishers who are also skillful fly-tiers, to take 

 with them to the stream a small kit of fly dress- 

 ing materials and to tie at the stream-side cor- 

 rect imitations of the natural flies then upon the 

 water. 



The American fly-fisherman, speaking of the 

 class generally, has never followed the theory 

 of exact imitation of nature in the selection of 



