172 THE DRY-FLY MAN'S HANDBOOK 



necessarily dry-fly specialists) who quite naturally 

 wish to obtain some little enlightenment upon the 

 subject ; and really there is nothing in the way of 

 unusual skill or acquired knowledge necessary to pre- 

 vent the frequenter of sea-trout lochs from substantially 

 increasing his bag by the dry-fly method." 



" Dry-fly fishing is (although not usual) quite possible 

 for the wielder of a double-handed rod, indeed such a 

 rod might under certain conditions prove of greater 

 utility than the short one, even to an expert. It has, 

 however, become usual to employ the single-handed rod 

 in loch fishing, but where a long cast has to be made, 

 shooting the line Is essential, and that method is not 

 apparently very generally adopted, although it does 

 away with the necessity of the long double-handed 

 appliances." 



" Some anglers of my acquaintance prefer to use two 

 rods, a twelve or fourteen feet rod for the orthodox 

 method, and ten feet for dry-fly. This is quite un- 

 necessary, and only adds to one's impedimenta, 

 the exchange of the wet cast, with its attached 

 droppers, for one with a single (previously paraffined) 

 floating fly attached, being all that is really neces- 

 sary. The wet part of the reel line (It Is Inferred 

 that the line in use is thoroughly sound as to 

 its waterproof dressing) should be wiped dry, and 

 creased For this purpose there are several prepara- 

 tions on the market, which are best applied with a 

 small piece of thin flexible leather, kept In a tin box 

 for the purpose. It Is Important not to allow any of 



