378 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



The "Brown Hackle," "Yellow Professor," or 

 " Grizzly King," all too well known to require descrip- 

 tion, are also very good flies for the wilderness. If the 

 wings of these are made of two separate mallard feathers, 

 set with the concave side outward instead of in the usual 

 manner, they are greatly improved. In the air such a 

 fly is not attractive, but handle it by a series of short, 

 slow jerks a little below the surface of still water, and 

 its wings will open and shut so that it really appears 

 to swim a process which seems amazingly to strike 

 the fancy of large trout. 



With these flies I consider an angler well equipped 

 for any campaign in the wilderness where the trout run 

 large. Greater variety is unnecessary. Nos. 4 and 6 are 

 the best all-around sizes ; but when the water is very 

 rough and the fish very large, No. 2 is sometimes more 

 killing. 



And here let me caution you once more, if you pro- 

 pose to fish these waters, or any others in which large 

 fish may be had, never put a leader to your line which 

 has not been tested since it was last dry and stiff. Dry 

 gut will crack if bent, and the better and more elastic 

 the gut, the greater will be the injury caused by such a 

 mishap. These cracks in a leader defy the closest in- 

 spection, and their presence or absence can only be de- 

 termined by a test of its strength. 



In these waters a guide is essential to the stranger if 

 he wishes good sport; for, as a general rule, one place, 

 as far as surface indications are concerned, looks as well 

 as another, and the best fishing - grounds are and have 

 been discovered only by actual trial, rod in hand. These 

 the guides know of course, and they will place their 

 sportsman where the chances are then best. 



