SPECIAL CONDITIONS— WET-FLY SOLUTIONS 45 



gaily, and the rings of their rises surged into the 

 silver of the lighted current. 



It seemed a mad thing to do, but I despatched 

 my Tup's Indispensable to a spot in the dark as 

 near as I could judge above the ring of a good 

 fish. My cast lay Hke a hair on the surface, stretch- 

 ing into the dark, not too taut. Suddenly I saw 

 my gut draw straight upon the current, the farther 

 end disappearing under the sheen of the moonlight, 

 and, without waiting to think, I raised my rod- 

 point, to find myself in battle with a solid fish. 

 Thrice in the twenty minutes the rise lasted did I 

 repeat this experience. Each trout was soundly 

 hooked, and a nice level lot they were, running 

 from one and a quarter to one and a half pounds. 

 Thus was success at the last moment pulled by a 

 fluke out of almost certain defeat. It is not always 

 possible to find place and light serving in this 

 way, but if you do, make use of the moon. 



THE WET-FLY OIL TIP. 



In my observations upon the judicious use of the 

 moon, I indicated the advantage to be derived, in 

 cases where the light prevented the rise from being 

 otherwise detected in due time, from watching the 

 gut cast as a float signalHng the taking of the fly. 

 Indeed, it is not only by night that the cast may 

 be watched with advantage, but often by day when 

 casting a fly, wet or dry, but especially wet, into 

 a bad light, while the cast or part of it may be 



