TO FISH FLOATING FLY 95 



rises occur when the fish are not feeding, that 

 sometimes the trout roll up to or leap above 

 the surface, is well known to the experienced 

 stream fisherman. With this feature of the 

 matter we are not here concerned; the habit 

 has been variously accounted for by anglers 

 and icthyologists but the motive of the fish in 

 thus acting is still debatable. However this 

 may be, the angler may safely conclude that 

 any visible rise save generally a clear leap 

 above the surface is a rise to the natural fly 

 by a feeding trout until the contrary may ap- 

 pear from the attendant circumstances. 



It is with the bona fide rise of a trout to the 

 floating natural fly that the dry fly caster is 

 chiefly concerned. But in this connection it 

 should be noted that the feeding of trout upon 

 the natural insect is by no means confined to 

 the time of the latter's appearance strictly on 

 the surface. Of the water-bred insects the 

 Ephemeridae, called " duns " when in the sub- 

 imago state, occupy the place of greatest im- 

 portance in the entomology of the dry fly fish- 

 erman. In a later chapter something is said of 

 the commoner insect life of the stream; it 

 should here be noted, however, that trout feed 

 upon the Ephemeridae, for instance, at all 

 stages of their existence. 



