76 PRACTICAL FLY FISHING 



smaller hooks. The tendency among bass fishermen, 

 however, is toward smaller and better hooks. 



There is a wonderful variety in the sizes of trout 

 flies. For wet fly fishing sizes 4 and 6 are considered 

 large; 8 and 10 medium; 12 and 14 small and " tinies," 

 or very small, run all the way to 22 which are no larger 

 than an anaemic mosquito. Local conditions should 

 govern the selection of sizes of flies. In some waters 

 the trout show a marked preference for certain sizes 

 and many expert anglers claim that a variety of sizes 

 is more important than a multitude of patterns. My 

 own experience inclines me toward the same belief and 

 in late years I have carried with me more size 6 than 

 ever as I have found that the trout favor a large fly 

 more often than the general run of anglers seem to 

 believe. Unless local anglers advise otherwise the 

 novice would not be far out of the right track if he 

 would proportion his sizes on the following basis, tak- 

 ing a dozen flies as a standard: size 6, 2; size 8, 4; 

 size 10, 4; size 12, i; size 14 or 16, I. Smaller flies 

 are used for dry fly fishing, number 12 being the 

 standard in most American waters. 



A time-honored rule in bass or trout fishing is to use 

 small or dark colored flies in very clear water and 

 during bright weather and the larger ones and the 

 gaudiest colored on dark days, at night or when the 

 water is discolored. This is a safe rule to follow, 

 generally, except that certain sky conditions make a 

 dark colored fly more prominent than a light one when 

 fishing at night. 



