50 FLOATING FLIES 



As to the form of the hook, whether Sproat, 

 Pennell (turned-down), O'Shaughnessy, Sneck, 

 and so on, it is a matter in which one cannot ex- 

 ercise personal choice to any great extent one 

 must needs be contented with the flies as he 

 finds them. Hooks with the Sneck bend are 

 favored for the smaller patterns; others may 

 be dressed on any of the above-named hooks. 

 Unless you are willing, many times, to undergo 

 great delay in stocking your fly box, you must 

 sacrifice a personal prejudice toward any par- 

 ticular form of hook for the sake of obtaining 

 the pattern you wish in the desired size. 



I give below a list of a few floating flies 

 which I know to be successful under average 

 angling conditions, and would suggest that in 

 making your selection of dry flies you obtain 

 some, at least, of the patterns dressed upon 

 number ten hooks. The use of the very small 

 English patterns, tied, as a rule, on number 

 twelve hooks at the largest, is not at all times 

 and in all places most advantageous on Ameri- 

 can trout streams. The flies named are, as far 

 as may be, typical ; that is, selected with a view 

 to approximately imitating the general insect 

 life (consisting largely of water-bred insects) 

 of any trout stream, so that the angler may as 

 a general thing find in his list a fairly close 



