Flies and Casting- Lines. 19 



loops meet and make a firm, and at the same 

 time an almost imperceptible, joining. You 

 then clip off any ends that may remain. So 

 much for the tail fly. The putting on of the 

 other two is simplicity itself. You take the 

 strand of gut on which the next fly you pur- 

 pose affixing is dressed, and laying it along the 

 main line, taking care to have the hook lying in 

 the reverse direction from the tail fly, you tie 

 it into the line a yard from the fly already 

 attached. In tying it in, leave the hook hang- 

 ing about two and a half inches from the line. 

 The third, or " bob " fly, is attached in like 

 manner, and thus your cast of flies is com- 

 pleted. The only objection to this method of 

 making up a cast is, that once the middle and 

 bob flies are tied in, they cannot be used again. 

 This is quite true ; but the keen angler will 

 submit to the little extra expense on this score 

 for the gratification which the sight of a really 

 neat cast will afford him. The system of sus- 

 pending hooks by loops, especially when using 

 fine tackle, is almost entirely exploded. We 

 should have said that previous to use, all gut 

 should be soaked, and the longer the better. 

 It is a good plan to let it soak over night, and 



