May, 1921 
FOREST AND STREAM 
205 
dry-fly method, all else being equal, 
should be the more scientific and suc- 
cessful way of casting “artificial pre- 
sentments.” This learning how to cir- 
cumvent the sly creek denizens is a fas- 
cinating and all-inclusive study. Many 
a spring-angler, and summer fisherman 
too for that matter, thinks that all there 
is to angling is to “drown a worm” or 
idly drag a bunch of colored feathers 
back and forth over a pool. 
On that little stream of which I was 
writing a moment ago, I will defy any- 
one to find a single spot in half a mile 
of water where he can insinuate a fly. 
For many a space it was just poking 
the tip of the rod through a little open- 
ing in the brush, dropping the worm 
into the water and allowing the current 
to sweep it off under the bank or ob- 
struction, where it was a safe wager 
that a red-spot was waiting for it. A 
quick jerk to set the hook, a backing 
out with the trout dangling, and curses 
or rejoicing as the maneuver succeeded 
or failed. Believe me, we had many a 
wrenching experience. I want to add 
that Job had nothing on the man who 
can fish such a stream all day and not 
“tear things.” 
E NOUGH has been said to prove that 
for such fishing, tackle must be of 
the best. The rod should be as 
well built and perfect a tool as one can 
secure ; no less perfect in build and 
action than would be required for fly- 
fishing. The reel, too, should be the fly- 
fisher’s single action winch, and the 
line a level, enameled silk to properly 
balance the rod. I have come to make 
no difference in my tackle for worm 
fishing and fly fishing, I mean on the 
smaller streams. Anyway I do not 
use worms after the first rise of in- 
sects, save on such little creeks as can 
not be flecked with the feathers; and 
I seldom fish them after fly-fishing 
reaches perfection, having a penchant 
for the latter method. I have gone to 
the brushy worm and ’hopper streams 
now and again just for a change, or for 
a mess of fish when heavy rains ren- 
dered fly-fishing on real rivers out of 
the question. 
One reason I prefer the little whim- 
sical brooklets is because I am nearer 
the Out-o’-Doors, so to speak, the tag- 
olders and willows all but touching 
overhead, and tempting the early birds 
to perch close to us as we fish away. 
I once had a Maryland yellowthroat 
alight on my rod as I poked it through 
the brush. Needless to add after that 
“blessing” I took a good red-spot. On 
our northern streams we are reason- 
ably certain to hear the spring song of 
the white-throat, which in itself is ex- 
cuse enough for going fishing on Open- 
ing Day. Always one can play with the 
little creeks without let or hindrance. 
Their little rapids and miniature water- 
falls urge you to intimate association, 
while those of real grown up trout 
streams warn you with no uncertain 
voice that undue familiarity will be re- 
sented and fraught with peril. 
One knows instantly whether or not 
a hooked fish is a red-spot or a rain- 
bow, indeed one does not need to wait 
for the hooking to discover the iden- 
tity of the fish; their methods of tak- 
ing the bait or fly are so different. 
Someone has described the rainbow’s 
nibbling as, “take-and-spit”, which is 
not half bad. They always remind me 
of a cat attempting to eat a bit of hot 
meat, though of course the head shak- 
ings are physically impossible. How 
they dash at the bait or fly! Tossing it 
(continued on page 226) 
SOME NOTES ON FLY FISHING 
GOOD CASTING IS A VERY NECESSARY ADJUNCT TO GOOD FLY FISH- 
ING BUT GOOD CASTING OF ITSELF IS NOT GOOD FLY FISHING 
By V1RGINIUS 
P ERHAPS the best test of how ex- 
pert a fly fisherman is commences 
the instant his fly touches the 
water. -Good casting is a very neces- 
sary adjunct to good fly fishing, but 
good casting of itself is not good fly 
fishing. One may be a perfect caster, 
and yet not be an expert fly fisherman, 
while one cannot be an expert fly fish- 
erman unless one is a splendid caster. 
Let us assume that our angler is 
an accomplished fly caster. He has, in 
other words, the ability to lay a 
straight line, and drop his fly lightly 
on the water within a matter of a few 
inches of the spot he aims at. If he 
has good control of his fly when it is 
forty to fifty feet away from him, 1 
should consider him a long-distance 
fisherman. Except under most extra- 
ordinary conditions the use of more 
than fifteen yards of line denotes un- 
wise, fishing — even though it may be 
evidence of beautiful casting. The 
greater one’s knowledge of a stream, 
the shorter line it is possible to use; 
when one is familiar with the rocks 
and holes, he understands the best 
method for approaching any given fish. 
If, however, he is a stranger to the 
stream, he must go more slowly, feel- 
ing out the water ahead of him with a 
longer line, and watching every surface 
indication of what the bottom may be. 
There are only two methods, as far 
as I know, of fishing with a dry fly; 
one is to fish it floating, and the other 
is to fish it submerged. When I say 
dry fly, I refer to the style of the fly — 
as opposed to the style in which a wet 
Virginius playing a big rainbow on a 
two-ounce rod 
fly is tied. The dry fly is tied with 
divided upright wings, and, in general, 
bears far more resemblance to the 
natural insect than the wet fly does. 
Whether the dry fly be fished wet 
or dry, it must be fished upstream; and 
it must be given absolutely no motion 
by the angler. Although there is more 
pleasure to be gained from fishing a 
floating fly, there are times when a sub- 
merged dry fly, allowed to come down 
with the current, with no hint of drag — 
in other words, handled exactly as 
though it were floating — will take mor» 
fish. 
When using a fly tied dry fly style, 
always attempt to imitate the natural 
insect — otherwise use wet flies. 
To my mind every angler should try 
to have some more or less definite the- 
ory concerning the use of flies; even 
though his theory may not be correct, 
it at least gives him something to build 
on. What more hopeless feeling is 
there than to go on the stream with 
no idea as to what fly to use next in 
case your first choice will not raise a 
fish. Of course there are some men 
who never use but the one fly — fish or 
no fish; they are fortunate indeed. The 
large majority, however, rely on an 
assortment of patterns, which adds a 
little interest to the game which per- 
haps the one fly-man misses. The lat- 
ter uses different sizes of his pattern, 
and relies on them and his method of 
fishing his fly to cover all contingencies. 
I have already said that the dry tty 
should only be used in imitating a natu- 
ral fly. I want to say also that it 
should be used only in imitating a 
perfect natural fly — as against the im- 
perfect fly which has not yet spread 
its wings. This leaves the imitation of 
the imperfect fly to the wet fly, which, 
when properly tied, and drawn through 
the water correctly, to my mind, cov- 
ers this field nicely. There are thou- 
sands of flies now on the market, made 
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 229) 
