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In making a fly I first attach the gut to 
the hook with a half hitch and 2 loops of 
waxed silk, then lay on a bit of hair twice 
as long as I want the finished fly to be. If 
I want a body, I use more hair, and double 
it for the body. The hair is fastened to the 
hook near the end of the shank with a few 
loops of the silk, working the hair with the 
fingers so that it is even around the hook. 
Then I fold the hair back over the loops 
already made, and loop it on with the silk, 
trim off the ends, and it is done. If I want 
the thing to have wings, I trim them on 
with the scissors. The softer the hair, the 
neater the job can be made. This kind of a 
fly is practically indestructible by fish and 
will last longer than the gut, while its cost 
is practically nothing. Of black horse hair, 
in this manner, I make an imitation house 
fly, or blue bottle, and I really believe that 
this kind of a fly is the only one a fish takes 
that it tries to swallow. I have often seen 
moths, millers and bugs floating on the 
water, but never saw a fish take one; but I 
have laid my fiy, unlike anything living, 
among the insects, and had fish take it. 
My partner is a crank, and spends lots 
of time in making regulation flies, and new 
patterns of his own devising; but my hair 
flies do equally as good if not better work. 
The books all say, never use any but the 
best quality of hooks. The hooks I use can 
be had for 10 cents a hundred, and I have 
never yet lost a fish by a hook breaking or 
through any fault of the hook, so I see no 
use of paying $1.50 when Io cents answers 
the same purpose. 
The books say, never buy a cheap rod. 
That advice is good enough for those who 
have money to burn; and, of course, a rod 
that costs $15 will be more valuable and 
better cared for than one that can be bought 
for 60 cents. My partner has one of the 
latter price which he has used for 3 seasons, 
being out probably 30 days each season. 
Time and again has he landed bass of 3 
pounds weight with it, and for all that I 
can see it is as good as at first. After 2 
seasons’ use he took off all the guides and 
wrappings, sandpapered off the old varnish, 
put on new guides and wrappings, and with 
a double coat of coach varnish made it 
really better than when new. With it he 
can cast far and accurately, and land any- 
thing he strikes; so what more can be asked 
of a rod? 
The books say, always have your leaders 
6 to 8 feet long, and the flies 3 feet apart 
if using more than one. What’s the use? 
The purpose of the leader is to make the 
connection between line and fly invisible. 
To this end many advocate stained leaders, 
which, really, when seen in the water are as 
plainly visible as the line; but granting 
that they are not, surely a fish will not no- 
tice the difference when only a 3 foot leader 
RECREATION. * 
is used, and if the flies are only a foot apart 
they will have a better chance of getting a 
fish than if 3 feet apart. The most impor- 
tant thing in catching fish is first to find the 
fish. Then the flies should be laid on the 
water near the fish. If 3 flies of different 
shades are then near together, it stands to 
reason that the fish has choice, and may 
take either of the 3; but if the flies are 3 
feet apart only one fly has a chance. True, 
one of the others may get a fish by being 
where the fish was not expected to be, but 
that will be. a scratch catch. 
The books say that before going fishing 
one should practice casting on shore with- 
out leader or flies, until the art is learned. 
I do not agree in this, for the difference 
between casting on land and on water is so 
great that after learning on land it will be 
necessary to learn again on water. A dry 
line will work entirely different from a wet 
line, and the slight resistance which is made 
by having the flies attached will entirely 
change the cast. I'll agree that there need 
not be any fish in the water cast over, but 
the water should be there, and all the trim- 
mings. If the learner knows there are no 
fish where he is casting, it will require more 
than ordinary- perseverance to keep at prac- 
tice long enough to get the hang of it. My 
partner was self-taught, and so was I; or 
rather, we taught each other, one paddling 
the boat while the other cast, and when one 
of us caught a fish he lost his turn. Some- 
times we changed often, and then again we 
did not change until both of us were more 
than willing; but I don’t know of any bet- 
ter way to learn, unless some one who 
knows the art is willing to act as teacher. 
If I had to learn over, and by my- 
self, I should take the bank, and selecting a 
place where there were no bushes or trees, 
would stand with my right side to the water 
and draw from the reel about 15 feet of line. 
Holding the line in my left hand and ex- 
tending the rod over the water a little back 
of me, I would bring the point forward 
3 or 4 feet and stop with a little bit of a 
jerk, somewhat like cracking a whip. By 
so doing the spring of the rod would carry 
the line forward, so the flies would strike 
the water at the extreme length of the line, 
and close to the shore. 
I should then let the flies settle in the 
water while I could count 5, and would 
then, with my left hand, draw in 3 or 4 feet 
with a jerky motion. 
I should expect a strike, but if I got none, 
should give a backward swing to the rod 
rather upward, and stop with a jerk as I 
did when sending it forward. This motion 
would send the flies to the full length of the 
line back of me, but above the water. As 
I could not look back to tell when the line 
was fully extended, I should give about the 
same length of time as it took it to go for- 
