•JO THE DRY-FLY MAN'S HANDBOOK 



rising, are styled purists. The expressions are often 

 used by angling authorities as a species of reproach 

 or commiseration, or even with the intention of being 

 read as chaff. Now I would urge that the first rule 

 to be observed by every man who wishes to be 

 deemed a dry-fly fisher is to follow the example of 

 these purists or ultra-purists. 



Nothing is more gratifying to the true sportsman 



than to be able to give his 

 Sunk fly on dry-fly enthusiastic friends an occa- 



waters. sional day on the water he 



fishes. Marryat used to say 

 that a day at the river-side watching a first-rate 

 performer was quite as enjoyable as one passed 

 in solitude fishing oneself; and no doubt to an 

 absolutely unselfish man like my late friend this self- 

 denying ordinance presented many charms and had 

 no disadvantages. Walking with his guest or varying 

 the proceedings by trying some of the rising fish 

 himself, the host can spend a delightful day in con- 

 genial society. At once the worst, and perhaps the 

 best, feature of dry-fly fishing is its uncertainty and 

 disappointments, and the fact that no amount of study 

 of the subject, even when spread over many years, 

 has to any appreciable extent enabled even the most 

 observant to hazard a forecast of the probable basket, 

 or pronounce any definite idea of the climatic con- 

 ditions under which good or bad sport may be antici- 

 pated. 



The mere fixing of a convenient date is often a 



