SEA-TROUT LOCH FISHING 171 



"SEA-TROUT LOCH FISHING WITH THE DRY-FLY" 



" There can be little doubt that in the south of 

 England — the home of the dry-fly — there are some 

 anglers who have become so proficient in the art, and, 

 in consequence, have given so much time and practice 

 to this special branch of fly-fishing, that they use it 

 more or less exclusively, even when choice or circum- 

 stances find them in other localities." 



" It is also common knowledge that dry-fly fishing 

 has been steadily creeping northward and westward in 

 the British Islands for some time past, and there are 

 many north-country anglers who have become so 

 practised in the art that they have adopted it in con- 

 junction with their usual method. Even in Scotland, 

 where it was always supposed to be unsuitable for 

 the type of water usually found, it is becoming 

 evident that the idea of unsuitability is an erroneous 

 one, for the very simple reason that nature has en- 

 dowed flies, especially water-bred flies, with so much 

 buoyancy that they can, and do, float in any type of 

 water, and that their artificial counterfeits may be 

 employed to advantage in all water that is possible for 

 the usual orthodox method ; but, curiously enough, 

 although sea-trout have fallen victims to the dry-fly 

 when employed on Scottish rivers under favourable 

 conditions for several years past, it has only been 

 within the last five or six years used with success on 

 purely sea-trout lochs, but the success has been so 

 surprising that doubtless there are many anglers (not 



