A Typical Stretch
Photo by Mrs. A. R. Gurney
Chapter II.
FLY FISHING.
So much has already been written on fly fishing by men of wide and varied experience, that it is with no little diffidence the writers approach the subject. Yet the more thoroughly the whole art of trout fishing is explored, the more engrossing does it become, and, as experience is gained, the more evident it appears that little is really known and that a vast field still remains open for investigation.
It is not intended to try in this chapter to teach the art of fly fishing, as more can be learned by observation, perseverance and practice on the river, than by reading all that was ever written on the subject; but it is desired, by emphasizing a few essential points, to help the novice through his initial difficulties.
Some anglers who are only able to devote a few weeks during the season to their pastime are content to go to the local tackle dealer or the professional fisherman and to rely entirely on his advice. While it is always well to consult the “local men”—quaint characters for the most part and many of them cobblers by trade—it is often a mistake to rely entirely upon them; for, if a man’s ambition be to get out of the rut and to kill fish under difficult conditions, he must think for himself.
The “local man” often has a strong partiality for certain patterns of flies, no matter what the conditions. Only recently the writers came across a most glaring example of this particular tendency, which is perhaps worth mentioning in order to illustrate their point. Arriving at the river one September afternoon, they noticed on the opposite bank the local professional, who is held in very high esteem as a fisherman. He certainly casts as neat a line as the writers have ever seen thrown. In answer to their enquiry, “What sport?”, they received the reply, “A few,” and were more than a little astonished to learn that he was using flies which, in their opinion, were more suitable for the end of July. It is always a pleasure to see this man cast, so they sat down and watched him. Time after time he put his flies in the most beautiful manner over rising fish, but without result, although the water was coloured and the fish continued to rise steadily. Soon one showed within casting distance of the bank on which the writers were seated, so a fly was immediately put over him and was accepted at the first offer. Earlier that day there had been a large hatch of Dark Needles, and it was an imitation of that insect which induced the rise. Alternately the writers threw over rising fish with more or less success; but the professional, who persevered for another half-hour without changing his flies, at last gave up in disgust. For the time being at least he was beaten. Not that he did not know the river or understand the habits of the trout—both were to him as an open book—but simply because he was deficient in his knowledge of insect life. This man probably knew some ten or a dozen good all-round flies which he used the season through, but without due regard to the hatch of natural insects.
Now put yourself in the professional’s position on that particular day, only add to his knowledge that of insect life. On finding your flies rejected, you would have picked from off the water, and examined, the natural insects which were floating down; then, immediately realizing what was amiss, you would have substituted an imitation of the taking fly for one on your cast. Success would have followed failure, and a light-hearted angler would have tramped homewards at sunset with a creel the heavier for his practical knowledge.
From the foregoing it will be gathered that the novice should make it his first duty to study on every possible occasion the insect life of the river he is going to fish, and not merely rely upon the tackle dealer or professional to supply his deficiency in this, or indeed in other matters. By this let it not be thought that the writers consider it necessary to go deeply into the study of entomology, fascinating as that study is; but if the greatest amount of pleasure is to be derived, and incidentally a fair number of fish to be killed, it is essential that the angler should arm himself with a good general knowledge of river insect life.