SUNDRY OBSERVATIONS 157 



1. An angler fishing with an entirely floating cast has an 

 advantage, in that the cast can only be seen within the 

 circle above described; and this applies equally whether 

 the fly itself be floating, semi-submerged or sunk, but — 



2. The entirely floating fly itself can only be seen by the 

 trout if it passes over the fish within the charmed circle. 

 Within that circle it is extremely attractive, but the cast 

 must be extremely accurate. 



3. A semi-submerged or sunk fly, being visible at a 

 greater distance, need not be so precisely accurately cast. 

 To counter-balance that, it is duller in general effect, and 

 the under-water part of the gut is visible. 



4. Therefore, stouter gut may be used for dry-fly fishing, 

 or, to put it the other way on, finer gut is desirable for 

 fishing the wet fly, but not for fishing the semi-submerged. 



5. To counteract the dulling effect of the water on the 

 sunk or semi-submerged fly something brightening is 

 needed, such as a gold tag or gold or silver ribbing, or, 

 better still, dubbing brightened with seal's fur or pig's 

 wool. 



6. A not very perfectly-dried winged fly, which has 

 hackle and body as well as hook breaking through the 

 surface film, may very well be taken for a hatching 

 nymph. 



There are probably other conclusions, but these are a 

 few to go on with. 



WIND AND THE EVENING RISE. 



When I think of all the wise things which for years and 

 years I have accepted from authorities and acted upon 

 in sheer innocence, I could swear — swear vehemently. 

 The number of times I have gone in of an evening because 

 of the thoroughly well-established fact that there can 

 be no evening rise unless the wind drops ! ! 



