HO SCIENCE OF FISHING. 



quickly enough to set the hook, and the fish never hook 

 themselves as they often do when fishing down stream, 

 where the current keeps the line taut at all times. Then 

 again it is more difficult to wade up stream, and on small 

 brooks you cannot float the fly under overhanging brush 

 as you can by fishing down stream. Therefore, to the ques- 

 tion : Is it best to fish up stream or down stream? The 

 answer is, it depends on the kind of water you are fishing. 

 Casting across stream, if there is any current, is a bad way, 

 as the current catches the line and makes the fly act very 

 unlifelike, and the angler cannot manipulate the fly properly. 

 Another trouble is that you must make long casts or the 

 ftsh will see you. 



You must never cast a fly from a high bank, a Bridge, 

 or any other place above the water's level, for the fish will 

 surely see you. You must keep out of sight at all times, 

 and the only satisfactory way to fish with a fly, on wide 

 streams, is to wade the water. When wading you are down 

 low and less likely to be seen, and there is more room for 

 your line in casting. On small streams you can stay on the 

 bank but keep as far away from the water as practicable. 



Our American way of fishing with the artificial fly 

 is to keep the fly partly submerged, especially for black 

 bass. It is known as wet fly fishing in distinction from 

 the English way of fishing with small floating flies, or dry 

 flies. Our way is perfectly satisfactory for bass fishing, 

 and in fishing waters where the fish are not sought much, 

 but experiments have proven beyond all doubt that dry fly 

 fishing is a more killing way in trout waters that have been 

 hard fished, as many large fish may be caught where the 

 wet fly fishers cannot get a rise. For dry fly fishing the 

 liny dry flies, with bodies of cork or some other buoyant 

 material, and only one fly is used. It is attached to a nine- 

 foot, very fine single gut leader, and a tapered line. The 

 flies are of the eyed kind so that there will be no knot or 



