TO FISH, FLOATING FLY 103 



fifteenth or twentieth cast, and in the meantime 

 have seen the fish rise to the natural fly within 

 six inches of the artificial. But when I have 

 had the right fly and by dint of persistent cast- 

 ing have at last floated it over the exact spot 

 the " dead line " for the natural fly the re- 

 sponse has almost always been instantaneous 

 and emphatic. So I would advise not letting 

 up on a rising fish until you are sure that what 

 may be termed the feeding zone of the trout 

 often very restricted has been covered by 

 your fly while cocked and floating in an abso- 

 lutely natural way. 



At the same time it is poor business to keep 

 hammering away at a very particular fish for 

 the simple reason that the more you cast to 

 him the more shy and finicky he is apt to be- 

 come certainly if the casting is not done with 

 the utmost possible skill and unobtrusiveness 

 and eventually you may set him down to stay. 

 It is best to divide your attentions, fishing the 

 water above or below, and returning from time 

 to time to make some half-dozen casts over 

 the reluctant one. 



I believe it pays best when fishing all the 

 water to use a fairly large fly as dry flies go 

 say a fly dressed on a No. 10 long-shanked 

 hook. I have had particularly good results 



