THE SYSTEM OF ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 1$ 



falls as a logical sequence with the proposition on 

 which it was based. As might be expected, this 

 theory was never found to stand the test of prac- 

 tice, the experience of every fly-fisher teaching 

 him that when a particular natural fly is on the 

 water in abundance, Trout will commonly take 

 better an artificial fly imitative of any other 

 species. To this principle there is only one ex- 

 ception namely, the case of "May-fly fishing 

 with the dry fly." In this case, owing to the large 

 size of the fly, it is possible to really simulate 

 nature by presenting the artificial insect literally 

 dry, and floating passively. Thus the exception 

 proves the rule. 



Mr. Stewart, who has written one of the most 

 able books of modern times on Trout fishing in 

 clear water, founding on the same sound proposi- 

 tion as Mr. Ronalds viz., that Trout take the 

 artificial for the natural fly argues that because 

 the natural dry fly usually floats passively down 

 the stream, the artificial fly wet should do the 

 same. This is another analogical fallacy, the 

 error of which would seem hardly to require an 

 almost universally opposite practice for its demon- 

 stration. Ninety-nine men out of a hundred find 



B 



