DRY-FLY FISHING. 
9 
to observe that conversions are moving northward in 
a decidedly evident manner. 
One leading cause of these conversions is, no 
doubt, the influence of Mr. Halford’s admirable 
treatises , 1 in which the art is described by the hand 
of a master, who is himself an enthusiastic devotee 
of it. It is hard indeed to resist the fascination of 
his enthusiastic descriptions of dry-fly fishing, and 
harder still to answer the skilful logic of his lucid 
reasoning when he demonstrates its superiority from 
the laws of nature. 
The formation of angling clubs, especially of the 
London “ Fly-Fishers’ Club,” almost all of whose 
members are dry-flyers, and the discussions which 
are constantly taking place in them on the respective 
merits of the two styles ; the influence also of the 
many able pens which extol its felicities and super- 
excellencies in such journals as The Field , Land and 
Water , and The Fishing Gazette , whose editors are in 
each case accomplished masters of the art ; the 
Piscatorial Exhibitions and the Fishing Tournaments 
which have arisen during the last few years — have 
all been additional factors in the advancement of 
this delightful modern art. Any way, it is evident 
that there is a great leaning towards it even among 
the prejudiced, and many are showing an anxiety to 
become its disciples. Even our aristocratic ladies 
are beginning to perceive that so fine and elegant an 
art is worthy of their attention, and not a few of 
1 “ Dry-Fly Fishing,” by Frederic M. Halford, Esq., and 
“ Floating Flies, and How to Dress Them,” by Frederic M. 
Halford, Esq. (Sampson Low, Marston & Co.) 
