HINTS TO DRY-FLY FISHERMEN. 117 



lar streams and under circumstances favouring its 

 use, and a considerable degree of science is attained 

 by the earnest followers of both. We Southern 

 anglers are far too prone to look down on what 

 was wittily described in " The Fishing Gazette," as 

 the " chuck and chance it " style, and our North 

 Country friends are too apt to chaff us for our 

 enforced idleness when the fish are not rising. 

 Let each pin his faith to the particular school in 

 which he believes, but at the same time let each 

 admit that there is a certain degree of skill in his 

 opponent's method, and arguments to be advanced 

 in favour of its relative success. One word of 

 advice, however, to our North Country and Scotch 

 friends : when you find in one of the streams you 

 frequent that your trout from being overfished are 

 becoming more educated, and consequently more 

 shy, clo not be too wedded to your old notions to 

 try the advice of a " Southron," and see if a single 

 floating fly, fished upstream will not be effectual 

 in basketing some of your otherwise unattainable 

 fish. 



To define dry-fly fishing, I should describe it as 

 presenting to the rising fish the best possible 

 imitation of the insect on which he is feeding in 

 its natural position. To analyse this further, it is 

 necessary, firstly, to find a fish feeding on the 

 winged insect ; secondly, to present to him a good 

 imitation of this insect, both as to size and colour ; 

 thirdly, to present it to him in its natural position, 



