DOWN STREAM UP STREAM DRY FLY. 25 



ready to fly away again just as live ones are 

 accustomed to do. 



In a chalk stream moreover, owing to the 

 clearness of the water and often the absence of 

 cover, it is a matter of some difficulty to 

 approach near enough to the fish of course 

 from below him to be able to make the cast 

 without his detecting the movement of arm or 

 rod, and without any unseemly splash of the 

 gut. It is therefore of the greatest importance, 

 sometimes even a sine qua non, that the fly 

 should be placed lightly in the exact position 

 about a foot or two above him at the first cast. 



To do this means that the distance must be 

 judged to a nicety, wind or no wind, and the 

 cast be made with neatness and precision, so 

 that the little fly whether hackled or winged 

 pitches upon the water and floats down in full 

 view of the angler as well as of the fish. As 

 soon as it passes over the rise, and is not 

 taken, it is whipped off the surface and dried or 

 kept dry by false casts made in the air two or 

 three times. This ensures its floating; in which 

 process it can be aided by having its wings 

 and hackle slightly water proofed by a soupqon 

 of odourless paraffin oil, or failing that of 

 vaseline. Even a pinch of one's fingers upon 

 the dry fly after rubbing them through one's 

 hair will assist should nothing else be handy. 



As many good fish will at certain times of 

 the day any year, only take live floating flies 

 indeed the most knowing of them nowadays 

 will only take live floating struggling flies 



