THE DRY FLY ITSELF 



The reader will now perceive that fine, delicate dry fly 

 casting requires the angler to be fitted with a properly 

 balanced rod that is flexible, light, yet strong, a free run- 

 ning reel of proper weight, a line that tapers down to 

 thickness of leader, and leader that tapers fine to the 

 fly to make it speed through the air without obstruction, 

 then drop gently on the water as near as possible like 

 that of the natural insect. I consider it a waste of the 

 reader's time to give details of who invented the dry fly, 

 or a list of so-called experts who have practised and written 

 down their opinions of what are the best dry or wet flies to 

 most surely seduce trout. Indeed, such a situation seems 

 to be comical in the extreme to quote the various opinions 

 (both domestic and foreign) of what fly is best, for the 

 very reason that the most experienced angler on earth is 

 unable to tell in advance of arrival at the stream ivhat 

 insect is on the wing, any more than he can foretell if it will 

 rain tomorrow. When certain species of insects do rise to 

 float down along the surface in vast or small numbers, then 

 it is that trout are attracted and visibly feed. If we are 

 consistent in our belief of the dry fly method, it is then 

 only we can surely tell which dry or wet fly is best. 



It is sheer buncombe for experts to give a list of their 

 favorites. All flies are favorites to trout at their period of 

 rising. The reason I capture more trout on the shad fly, 

 cowdung, yellow sally and brown drake, is because their rise 

 extends through April, May and June, while some others 

 rise but a few days. 



For the benefit of the amateur who never cast a fly, 

 and the wet angler who honestly seeks to rightly know just 

 what difference there is between a wet and dry fly, my 

 answer is, the artificial dry fly has the upward wings split 

 open mostly curving outwards often having wing feathers 

 doubled to make them stiff and float better. The hackle is 

 tied more bushy, partly pushed forward beyond the hook- 

 eye. 



13 



