108 ANGLING. 



unless you happen on a very rough and wet day, the fish 

 will not take a wet fly. They get suspicious and well edu- 

 cated. The weather is fine and moderate, and they really 

 see very few drowned flies about, and, consequently, they 

 look pretty closely at one when it comes along, and their 

 quick sight soon detects the peculiar blue curly barbed 

 tail which the drowned fly possesses. At such times they 

 feed freely on the live insect sitting up and floating on the 

 surface of the water, and you have, therefore, to imitate 

 that as closely as possible, and by whipping the fly back- 

 ward and forward four or five times (or more if needed) 

 between each cast, all the wet is shaken out, and the line 

 and fly are so far dried that they float on the surface for 

 some distance, until the draft of the stream submerges 

 and wets them again. 



In casting the dry fly, send the line as straight as 

 possible and without any waves or curls on the water, and 

 allow it to float down over the head of the fish as like the 

 natural fly as possible, and without any pull or guidance. 



If you pull it at all, the line will make a streak on the 

 surface, and will certainly frighten the Jish. In fishing 

 the wet fly, it is often a good plan, in deep waters or holes, 

 to let the fly sink as deep as you can ; you may even 

 facilitate its sinking by biting a shot on the line at the 

 head of the fly ; and by jerking it through the water with 

 short jerks it will often tempt the fish which are not 

 feeding on the top, as they will mistake it for some larva. 

 Therefore, the code of regulations as regards wet, dry, 

 and sunk flies, comes pretty much to this : in the early 

 part of the season, or on rough and rainy days, you may 

 fish with the wet fly ; but in the latter portion, and fine 

 weather, use the dry. In hatch holes, deep mill heads or 

 tails, or such places, where the fish are big, and feed 



