THE REEL, LINE AND FLIES 53 



advisable to procure a box capable of holding 

 at least double the number of flies you intend 

 to carry, so that they may be inserted with- 

 out crushing and be easily distinguished and 

 removed. 



Paraffin oil, or some one of the other similar 

 waterproofing liquids furnished by the tackle 

 dealers, is a necessity to the dry-fly caster. A 

 floating fly, if perfectly dry, will float fairly 

 well for a number of casts without the use of 

 paraffin; but it soon becomes drowned and 

 sodden and very difficult to dry out by merely 

 false casting. Whatever preparation may be 

 used (and I have found very little practical dif- 

 ference in them) it should be carried in a small 

 bottle having a stopper with brush attached. 

 Apply the oil to the fly lightly, and remove the 

 superfluous liquid by pressing the fly between 

 folds in your handkerchief. It is usually prac- 

 ticable to prepare a number of flies in this way 

 before going to the stream, thus obviating the 

 the necessity of carrying the " oiler." 



It would seem unnecessary to consider the 

 matter of the creel, waders and other general 

 fly-fishing equipment, as these are familiar to 

 every fly-fisherman of any experience. How- 

 ever, for the benefit of the virtual beginner it 

 may be said that a rather larger basket than 



