480 AMERICAN FISHES. 



the direction of the line. These are the two great dodges in throw- 

 ing a fly. I wish I only had in my younger days as much told to me, 

 as you have had in the last few lines; many a year passed before I 

 found them out. 



In fishing for trout, there are two styles adopted. One is, to throw 

 your line nearly across the stream, letting it float down and gradually 

 across, to your side. In this case, and particularly in salmon-fishing 

 for I shall not have occasion more apropos to mention it care must 

 be taken not to, as the term is, let the line "belly," which means, to 

 let the stream carry a part of the line before the flies which assur- 

 edly it will do, unless, as soon as your flies are in the water opposite, 

 you slightly draw the point of your rod up the stream. The other 

 plan is called " whipping/' which means making quick casts, not let- 

 ting your line stay above a few seconds in the water; one style is 

 practised as much as the other. For my part I adopt the first plan 

 in swift-running water ; the latter when fishing a dead pool or in a 

 lake. Three flies are sufficient to use on one and the same casting- 

 line; the last is the "tail-fly," or, as it is sometimes called, "the 

 stretcher;" the other flies, which have about four inches or barely 

 that of gut, are made fast to the casting- line or "foot" line two to 

 three feet apart, and are called " droppers" or bob-flies. In the selec- 

 tion of flies great judgment is required ; some days one sort, other 

 days another sort; the beetle tribe, Coleoptem, affect the hot days 

 most. The Ephemera, or fish-fly, cold days ; the water-fly or Pkryganea, 

 cloudy days with gleams of sunshine. The Dyptcra and other land- 

 flies, windy days. He would do well to commence with a palmer as 

 a stretcher, and the fly which seems most suitable for the day as a 

 dropper until he can discover what fly the fish are actually rising at. 

 The palmer is never out of season, and is a good fat bait" 



Again, a good deal depends on the state, size and color of the 

 water, and the appearance of the weather. When the water is clear- 

 ing off from a flood, or is large, larger and lighter-colored flies may be 

 used. When it is very low, clear and fine, much smaller and darker 

 flies are preferable. In dark, gloomy weather, also judging from the 

 state of the water, you put on a bright fly, large or small, as the water 

 may be. In clear weather, the one of darker hue. Avoid high places 

 to cast from ; keep as low down to the water side as possible, if in it, 

 all the better, as fish easily see you. Never fish with the sun at your 



