July, 1918 
FOREST AND S T R E A M 
413 
bringing the line down on to the water 
at or near the apex of the bend, the leader 
and fly then swing around and fall as 
indicated. These casts are not easy to 
unless he keeps on rising after you have 
cast over him the first time. 
Whenever a fish has been caught the fly 
is generally pretty well mussed up. Before 
make, and only men who are proficient with 
a fly rod should attempt them. 
S OMETIMES it is impossible to cover a 
fish by an up or across stream cast; 
the only way in which the fish can be 
reached is by casting down stream and 
allowing the fly to drift over the fish. Now 
it is obvious that if we let out enough line 
to reach a fish and cast at the spot, the 
fly will commence to drag against the 
stream as soon as it falls on the surface. 
In this case we have to let out about five 
feet more line than is necessary to reach 
the fish. The fly is cast and the line al¬ 
lowed to fully extend itself, but well up 
in the air; very similar in fact as when 
drying the fly. Then the point of the rod 
is raised slowly and the line is drawn back 
towards the fisherman and when the rod 
is nearly upright the fly and line will fall 
on the water above the fish. (See Fig. 13.) 
The rod point is gradually lowered now 
to allow the line to float down stream with¬ 
out any assistance. 
If the fish does not take the fly on the 
first presentation let the line get fully ex¬ 
tended with the rod tip close to the sur¬ 
face of the water and then lift line and 
fly in the manner least calculated to fright¬ 
en the fish. Only the actual conditions can 
be a guide as to the best way to accom¬ 
plish this. By moving the rod to either 
left or right it may be possible to swing 
the line well off to the side of the fish’s 
location before lifting the line. 
Only cast down stream with the dry 
fly when it is impossible to reach the fish 
by any other method. A fish that has to 
be cast for down stream is very easily 
frightened and if the first cast does not 
get the fish it is doubtful if it is any good 
trying any more for that particular fish, 
you try to dry it, throw it into the water 
and drag it through the water to wash the 
slime off it. Then if you have a piece of 
amadou, which is a fungus having the 
T HE best fly to use is always that one 
which is the nearest imitation to the 
fly on which the trout are feeding. 
If there are no local experts who can 
tell accurately what fly the fish are feed¬ 
ing on and the fisherman can see flies on 
the water, he should use his own judgment 
and select the nearest imitation. 
A good list of flies to have is as fol¬ 
lows: Olive Dun, Dark Olive Dun, Iron 
Blue Dun, Olive Spinner, Pale Watery 
Dun, Jenny Spinner, Red Spinner, March 
Brown, Sherry Spinner, Black Gnat, Small 
Dark Sedge, Medium Sedge, Cinnamon 
Sedge. 
He should also have some of the fancy 
flies: Wickham’s Fancy, Little Marryat, 
Red Tag, Grdenwell’s Glory, Red Quill, 
Hare’s Ear, Witchurch Dun. 
Personally I prefer the Halford series 
of Hackle Flies, because they cover a large 
range of variations in a few specimens; 
there are only nine of them, viz., Dark 
Olive Quill, Medium Olive Quill, Red 
Quill, Adjutant Blue, Gold Ribbed Flare’s 
Ear, Pale Watery Dun, Ginger Quill, Red 
Ant, Wickham. 
Dry Flies should be if anything rather 
smaller than the actual size of the F leets 
that they are supposed to represent; con¬ 
sequently they are tied on very small 
hooks, viz., Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 17. 
It is remarkable, however, what large 
sized trout have been caught on such small 
hooks; it all depends on how the fish is 
handled after it has been hooked. 
For the benefit of the student of fly¬ 
fishing we are reproducing Fig. 9 of this 
series in larger size. 
The line should extend itself and absorb 
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property of absorbing moisture very 
readily, pinch the fly between the folded 
amadou and most of the water will be 
dried up and the fly can be finally dried 
by a few false casts. 
all the energy of the cast or throw, while it 
is still in the air, and not on the lawn. 
Fig. 9 shows the right method, b,, h,, the 
wrong method is illustrated at a,, a 2 . 
(to be concluded next month) 
