FLY FISHING FOE TROUT.. 97 



Having suited himself with rod, line, and winch, and 

 passed the line through the rings, the angler must tie or 

 loop on to the reel or running line, a collar of single gut, 

 moderately stout at the upper end, and fining down to the 

 end to which the artificial fly is to be fixed. Some people 

 have a loop in the line here, and, having another on the 

 fly link, loop the fly on, but this makes a thick place with 

 double lashings or knots some two inches long about eight 

 or nine inches above the fly, and in fine water becomes 

 very visible. I always knot the fly link on to the collar, 

 or casting line, as it is usually called, just as though it 

 were a part of the line itself. 



Sometimes the angler uses a dropper, or even two or 

 three. These are flies tied on to the casting line at 

 intervals of eighteen inches or two feet. I seldom use 

 more than one dropper under any circumstances, as I find 

 I can kill quite as many fish with two as I can with three 

 or four flies, and more than two are apt to tangle or catch 

 in weeds or twigs. When I use a dropper I pick out a 

 good sound knot about two feet or two and a half above 

 the tail fly or stretcher, and having reduced the gut on the 

 dropper fly to about five inches in length, and tied a knot 

 firmly at the extreme end, so that the gut shall not slip, I 

 tie or knot the fly on just above the knot in the casting 

 line one tie is usually enough, but two make it very 

 secure and, drawing the tie home above the knot, the 

 tackle will usually stand any fair strain that is put on the 

 dropper. 



Now, having suited himself with tackle and flies, the 

 angler should draw off rather more running line than the 

 length of the rod, and, waving the rod back smartly over 

 his right shoulder, having given the line time to extend 

 itself to the fullest in the air behind him, he should wave 



H 



