94 FLIES, FLY-DRESSING, ETC. 



if drawn along the water sufficiently fast to keep 

 the main line out of it. A great many different 

 methods of making up fly-casts are practised by 

 anglers. 'Some append them by loops, but loops 

 make such a show in the water that we never have 

 one in any part of our line, and to have the droppers 

 depended by them we consider perfectly suicidal. 

 Others join the main line together by the single slip- 

 knot, which is drawn asunder, and the end of the 

 thread of gut on which the fly is dressed having had 

 a knot put onit to prevent it from slipping, is in- 

 serted, when the knot is drawn together again. In 

 point of neatness this is less objectionable, but is 

 apt to slip, as all single knots are. The neatest and 

 most secure method is the one first described, and 

 all anglers should adopt it. 



The number of flies that should be used at a 

 time is a matter upon which great diversity of opinion 

 exists; some anglers never use more than three, 

 while others occasionally use a dozen. If the river 

 is so large that the angler cannot reach the opposite 

 bank, he may use as many as he can throw properly ; 

 but if the river can be commanded from bank to 

 bank, the propriety, under any circumstances, of 

 using more than three or four is exceedingly doubtful. 

 In such cases the opposite bank is the place where 

 most trout are to be had, and if a number of flies is 

 used, and they are all kept in the water, justice can- 

 not be done to the tail-fly, which alone reaches the 

 opposite bank, and has therefore the best chance. 



