I believe that most people carry about with them a quite unnecessary stock of flies, and that as much success will fall to you if you only provide yourself with different kinds of Palmers, Black and Red Gnats, the Black Alder, Red Spinner, March Brown, Blue Upright, Yellow Dun, Stone Fly, Wickham's Fancy, Greenwell's Glory, and on some streams the Green Drake, having these in several shades and tied on different sized hooks, never forgetting to supplement them by any others recommended by local fishermen, whose knowledge remember has probably been bought by careful study and long and varied experience.
For coarse fish I have found the Palmers, Black Gnat, Artificial Grub, and Bumble Bee the most successful. The Chub always liking their fly tied large, the Dace and Roach preferring theirs small.
A rod well-chosen and well-balanced is of course of the first necessity to your success. To speak again from my own experience, I found an inexpensive light Greenheart made by Hancock, a delightful rod in every respect and with this my first ventures both with trout and coarse fish were made. It only measured 10-ft. 6-in., but was beautifully balanced, and you could make very fairly long casts with it. As a beginner you should always get some experienced friend to choose your rod for you, though like everything else of the kind, you will naturally prefer to make the choice yourself as soon as you know how to test the balance on which all else depends.
In the matter of outfit, you will need a creel which should contain an upper tray for luncheon, a landing net, and one or two casts ready made for use. The last may be fastened round your hat, and of course if you have any idea of being independent and going out by yourself, your creel and net should be chosen with a view to lightness, or they will naturally add materially to the fatigue of a day on the river bank.
Lastly, I would say, that if you should have the opportunity of going out with a good fisherman on a river or lake, there to learn the elements of fly-fishing, by all means avail yourself of it. In no other way can you master the rudimentary practice so easily as from a boat, for there will be no bushes or banks, or the hundred and one difficulties you may have to consider on land, and you will therefore be able to concentrate your efforts on getting your line out in a fairly workmanlike manner.
That you should not be easily discouraged it is scarcely necessary to add, for who that has landed her first trout has not straightway felt the fever of the rod take possession of her?
Frances E. Slaughter.
