June 15, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
753 
well established theory that if a floating fly has 
any unnatural motion whatever, a trout will not 
take it; this cunning fish does not like to see 
even a live insect perform unnatural feats. It 
will be readily understood that if a fly is cast 
up and across stream and lights on a slowly 
moving current near the opposite bank, while the 
current in the center of the stream is swift, the 
line, falling in the swifter water, will be carried 
down stream faster than the fly would naturally 
move on the sluggish surface. The force of 
the strong current upon the line would exert 
an influence upon the motion of the fly, and an 
inevitable drag would set in. In order to over¬ 
come this, anglers make what is known as the 
slack-line cast. 
Instead of using a barely sufficient length 
of line to enable the fly to reach the spot where 
it is supposed to alight, when making the false 
casts in the air, the fly is allowed to go beyond 
this spot. Before the end of the forward cast 
the forward sweep of the rod is retarded or 
stopped entirely for a moment; the movement of 
the fly through the air will be checked and a 
slight backward impulse will follow; then the 
tip of the rod is dropped, the fly will light 
gently, and the line, instead of being taut, will 
fall loosely, in curves or waves, upon the water. 
A drag may take place under all conditions 
where there is a difference in the strength of the 
current where the fly lights and where the line 
falls, and the one w'ay of overcoming its disas¬ 
trous results is this loose line cast. 
The varieties of imitation flies are many, 
but nearly all are imitations of the duns. For 
American streams I can confidently recommend 
the whirling dun or Wickham’s fancy, and for 
late afternoon fishing the pale evening dun. 
Other favorites are the olive dun, iron-blue dun, 
jenny spinner, willow fly, soldier palmer and 
w’hite miller, while the old favorite coachman, 
tied dry, often proves a killing lure. 
Canoeing on the Delaware 
By HENRY B. FORT 
T here are times when a man can sit down 
and calmly think of camping trips and 
cruises he has made, of the many amusing 
and instructive features in connection therewith, 
and also of the enforced idleness during the win¬ 
ter months from the pursuit of these enjoyments 
which are near and dear to the heart of every 
canoeist. Such a time has caught me, and I will 
endeavor to make my thoughts intelligible. 
Winter is the time dreaded by the true canoe¬ 
ist. November finds us of the fraternity of 
campers and canoeists almost ready to call it 
quits, and substitute therefor the companionship 
of fellow enthusiasts around the open-grate fire 
of the club room, where yarns of all kinds (true 
and otherwise) fill the place with ‘‘hot air” which 
bids fair to rival the heat from the aforesaid 
grate; where we talk over trips that have been 
taken, of the pretty “spills” that have occurred 
on long cruises, particularly from the Gap down 
the Delaware w'here rapids and dams and falls 
are abundant; of the friendly but fierce contests 
in regattas; of who was the best cook in camp 
and who was the biggest eater; and of the com¬ 
ing season’s promises in the possibility of a 
change in cruising waters by shipping your duffle 
to some distant railroad station and there em¬ 
barking on a cruise in an entirely new section 
of the country with still greater beauty of en¬ 
vironments than those near at home. So that, 
between talks of the past and hopes of the future 
we manage to exist during the winter months, 
until that dear old time — spring time — comes 
around again, when we get together and brush 
off the accumulation of dust, old paint and var¬ 
nish. Then the smell of new paint and varnish 
permeates the air, already filled with joyous ex¬ 
clamations of anticipation as to the coming sea¬ 
son’s promises, and we are ready to start all 
over again. 
People of this section of New Jersey have 
awakened to the fact that canoeing and camp¬ 
ing, once participated in, always are looked-for- 
ward-to pleasures. One does not have any idea of 
the many intensely interesting and pleasurable trips 
that can be taken, even in this non-mountainous 
section, unless he has been there with the boys. On 
July 6, 1898, the Lakanoo Boat Club was organ¬ 
ized at Burlington, N. J. Previous to that date, 
canoeing was an almost unknown pastime in this 
immediate vicinity. Since that time one cannot 
look upon the Delaware without seeing a canoe 
gliding silently along, its occupant giving no 
thought to anything commonplace, but rather to 
Mother Nature, and possibly to the fair one with 
him, if he be so fortunate. Saturdays and Sun¬ 
days, particularly, one cannot go a hundred feet 
along the river without stumbling over camps, so 
numerous are the many beautiful spots suitable 
for these temporary dwelling places of those 
who would be near to nature’s heart. The Ran- 
cocas, Assiscunk and Neshamony creeks afford 
as many beautiful watery paths along which hour 
upon hour can be whiled away, unconscious of the 
fleeting time, until a realization of it is forced 
upon you by the setting of the sun, or the going 
down of the moon. Week-end trips are very 
popular, and the coming of Saturday is looked 
forward to with restless anticipation by the fel¬ 
lows who are employed during the week. Satur¬ 
day afternoon finds them packing up tents, cots, 
blankets, pots, pans and good things to eat; then, 
running their canoe down to the water’s edge, 
throw their duffle in, jump in after it, and away 
they go, to return Sunday evening or Monday 
morning. 
One naturally turns to the important question 
of how he can reduce to a minimum the weight 
and bulk of his camping equipment, when it is 
necessary to carry his all and everything in a 
sixteen or seventeen-foot canoe. If we consult 
catalogues of camp outfitters we find something 
new in every edition, but the question is just 
what to get that will fill the bill perfectly in 
every way. If enjoying a permanent camp, one 
may indulge in luxuries such as folding cots, 
tables, chairs, wall tent and plenty of cooking 
utensils. When cruising with as light a kit as 
possible, it is an entirely different matter. Dur¬ 
ing the thirteen years of my canoeing experi¬ 
ences I have reduced the bulk and weight of my 
cruising outfit to about one-half of what it origi¬ 
nally was, and I think there still is room for 
improvement. I have started on cruises with my 
good wife when I would stow away in that canoe 
everything that I could think of, and would only 
have about three inches freeboard amidships 
after we were aboard. 
Members of clubs located along the Delaware, 
between Trenton and Philadelphia, are most for¬ 
tunate in having, within easy reach, many small 
LAKANOO CLUB HOUSE EN FETE. 
Photograph by Stephen C. Singleton, jr. 
