INTRODUCTORY 9 



a trout take one which had fallen on the 

 water, so it was evident that the Alder 

 was the fly to use. I began with the 

 flies I had purchased, and cast over a 

 trout which was rising under a tree. He 

 would not look at it, and the same hap- 

 pened with the flies of the other two 

 makers when I cast over two other 

 trout. I then tried one of my own, and 

 got a fish at once. He did not take it in 

 a half-hearted manner, but was hooked 

 right in the back of the tongue. I then 

 tried the other flies again without suc- 

 cess. When, however, I went back to 

 my own fly I hooked the first fish I cast 

 over. 



Imitations of other flies made with the 

 wings in the natural position have served 

 me as well as did my imitation of the 

 Alder, though I was not inclined to try 

 the ordinary patterns so freely on every 

 occasion as I was at the first trial. I 

 have, however, several times caught a 

 rising fish on one of my imitations when 

 he had refused the ordinary imitation not 

 two minutes before. 



My reader will of course think that 



