TROUT STREAM INSECTS 115 



made in the preceding pages, constantly hold- 

 ing to the idea that the natural action of the 

 artificial fly is of first importance, he cannot go 

 far wrong; and if, as a result of actual experi- 

 ence, he may wish to go deeper into the science 

 of the dry fly, he will find the relation, theoreti- 

 cal and otherwise, of the artificial fly to the 

 natural detailed at length in more ambitious 

 treatises than the present. 



It is very important that the angler use flies 

 true to pattern, and as tackle dealers are prone 

 to substitution, and furthermore as different fly- 

 dressers frequently turn out quite dissimilar 

 flies under the same name, the angler should 

 make sure that the flies he may purchase are 

 correct in coloration, size and shape. 



STRIKING A TROUT 



In a previous chapter something has been 

 said of the manner of striking a rising trout 

 when employing the slack-line cast as a pre- 

 ventive against drag. Other things being 

 equal, success hinges upon the angler's ability 

 to strike at the right time and with correct 

 force or lack of force. When fishing down- 

 stream with the wet fly, which the fish often 

 takes beneath the surface, quick striking, at the 



