FLY FISHING. 



M. G. Ellzey, M. D. 



HE who knows not, let him un- 

 derstand that fly-fishing is an 

 exquisite art, based on a con- 

 crete science. Its successful practice 

 develops a true eye, a steady hand, a 

 delicate touch, quick perception, close 

 observation, ready memory, accurate 

 knowledge of the habits of species, as 

 they vary with local environment, 

 and, besides all this, an extensive as- 

 sortment of miscellaneous scientific 

 knowledge. Divers romantic writers 

 have needlessly obscured the sub- 

 ject with extravagant perplexities 

 and endless fooleries. The best ang- 

 lers, nevertheless, are simplest in 

 their methods. From the hygienic 

 point of view fly-fishing is a recrea- 

 tion worthy of all acceptation ; healer 

 and comforter of such as be broken 

 in body and spirit in the rude en- 

 counters of modern life ; develop- 

 er of muscular volume and tone, 

 and the strength of disused and ema- 

 ciated limbs ; distancer of all path- 

 ies and movement cures, itself the 

 chief of all movement cures. To 

 wade five or six miles down a head- 

 long mountain stream paved with 

 loose ancj slippery stones, stemming 

 an endless succession of leaping cas- 

 cades, foaming pools and strong, 

 swift rapids ; casting, now with the 

 right hand, now with the left, under 

 overhanging boulders and banks, and 

 again straight away 60 feet down 

 stream, letting fall the flies at the de- 

 sired spot with unfailing precision, 

 ever and anon bringing to landing 

 net and creel a lusty trout — this is 

 sport, indeed. It involves a flexibil- 

 ity of limb, an elasticity of muscle, 

 an undulating ease of motion and 

 graceful pose which, to a ballet 

 dancer, would be worth a fortune. 

 Consider, moreover, the surround- 

 ings. Magnificent scenery, vivified 

 by the ever-varying play of light and 

 shade, sunshine and shadow ; the 

 fragrance and beauty of early blos- 

 soms ; the music of flowing waters ; 



the wild, sweet melody of birds ; an 

 atmosphere pure and undefiled. Sub- 

 merged in the midst of such enjoy- 

 ments, ought not a sick man to be 

 made well again ? For the compe- 

 tent enjoyment of this queen of 

 sports and pastimes no unusual gifts 

 and endowments are necessary, as is 

 the case, truly, with the great masters 

 of the beautiful art. To become a 

 good fly-fisher only patience, perse- 

 verance and good-sense are neces- 

 sary. The same are the requisites for 

 the good still-hunter. For the great 

 masters of that craft, also, gifts are 

 necessary, like those of "the grand 

 old masters" in music, in poetry, 

 in sculpture, in painting. 



Neither in fly-fishing are expensive 

 outfits necessary. Let everything be 

 useful, simple and durable. In the 

 presence of great Nature's rugged 

 grandeur every thing for ostentation 

 is badly out of place. Nature abhors 

 a vacuum, and the physical embodi- 

 ment of vacuity is a dude. The sine 

 qua noji of a fly-fisher's outfit is a 

 good rod, and of the bait-caster's out- 

 fit a good reel. I have handled fly- 

 rods, so styled, with which casting 

 the fly was more laborious than split- 

 ting -rails. In casting with a good 

 fly-rod there is no consciousness 

 of muscular effort ; nor at the 

 close of day, when all the moun- 

 tain paths grow dim, any sense 

 of weariness, nor painful soreness of 

 wrist and forearm and shoulder. As 

 to the material of rods, I am no 

 enthusiast about splic bamboo. A 

 cheap rod of that description is a de- 

 lusion and a snare; for just when the 

 sport is at its best, and there is no 

 other rod within three days journey, 

 then that cheap bamboo will come 

 all to pieces ; and if ever, under 

 any circumstances, that man will 

 curse, he will curse then. Even 

 a high-priced, well-made split bam- 

 boo is a holiday affair. The steel 

 rods I have handled have not been 



130 



