THEORY AND PRACTICE 55 



years and has killed as many if not more 

 fish than anyone on the river. 



Last season I fished with a Griswold 

 Gray 4/0 for a few days and did not change 

 it under any circumstances. With it I took 

 16 salmon that averaged 25 pounds. Had 

 I changed the fly at times or fished with one 

 of smaller size, for the 4/0 was theoretically 

 several sizes too large for the water condi- 

 tions, I might have taken a few more fish 

 but they probably would have been smaller 

 ones. 



The saying " the larger the fly the larger 

 the fish " does not mean that you cannot 

 take a large fish on a small fly, but that you 

 will take fewer of them. 



With a stiff rod and a sound cast you can 

 put a great strain on a well-hooked fish, yet 

 there is no doubt that most anglers are 

 afraid of their gut and allow fish to sulk by 

 being too easy with them. More fish are 

 lost by gentle handling than by vigorous 

 treatment. 



You can cure a jumping fish of his aero- 



