The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1896-07-23
THE ART OF FLY FISHING
Practical Hints 10 Those Who Desire
10 Become Skillful.
PATIENCE AND DELICACY REQUIRED
Concise History OF tbe Coinage OF
the United states. wtth weight Of
Each Coin, Date of Commence
ment OF Coinage, Etc.

Fly fishing lie delicate art, and one
that cannot be mastered by all men.
Delicacy, accuracy and patience are quail
tiles demanded in the highest degree of
the man who would become a fisherman,
in the sense that word is used by past
master OF the rod. Observe the thistle
down lightness OF the fall OF the natural
ay upon mirror-like pool or reach.
It is in this light, unobtrusive manner
that trout are accustomed to have the
smaller species OF aquatic insects brought
under their notice, and any departure
from this manner is eyed by the feb with
suspicion aud left alone accordingly. A
delicate delivery Of the fly is, therefore,
| OF the utmost importance, and the great
point to be achieved in fly fishing is to
place the fly upon the water without the
Suggest ripple betraying its whereabouts
when 1t descends; and let the angler re-
member that as long as the fly does make
the tiniest ripple the cast is imperfect
and not in accordance with the rules gov
erning scientific fly fishing.
The next is accuracy in casting Trout,
when feeding on surface flies, take up
certain station near the bottom, gsuging
the approach Of floating fly as the
stream swiftly bears toward them with
great precision, rising to meet each sue.
cessive insect with deliberate movement
which becomes almost mechanical; but
let fly come floating down a trihe ont
OF the regular course under which feed
ing trout is lying, and 1t will not make a
motion to overtake or seize it. The quick,
rapid current Of trout stream offers too
much resistance to the broadside of fish
for them TO expose themselves laterally
to its action when the accommodating
current will bring their food directly owe,
them. To secure rising fish a fly must
be thrown so that it will float directly
over the center OF the first ring OF the
rise, and it should be the aim of the an
gler to cultivate the amount Of accuracy
in casting which will secure him this re-
suit.
Moreover. an angler must place his fly
before the fish and keep that fish in COM
plete ignorance of himself. his rod and
tackle. He must, after delivering his fly
upon the water allow no telltale move.
ment of the line to betray his acquaintance
with the fly. Whatever amount Of slack
line he is compelled to take up TO COM
mand his strike. in fishing across and up
stream, must be done in steady, care
full manner, by raising the rods tip, and
any movement which is likely to con-
munieate itself to the fly must be guarded
| against.
In wet fly fishing accuracy, delicacy
and long distance casting are just as i'm
portant as in dry fly fishing, but it is
necessary to give motion to the fly when
being drawn through the water.
The aim and object for which a cast
should be made, briefly recaptulated,
are these: To place fly upon the water
at some particular spot in the lightest
possible manner, at the same time max
ing cast of sufficient distance to in
sure your being out Of range Of the fish's
vision.
The first consideration in fly casting is
the rod--its weight and length, its bal
ance and its fit. These are prime quail
ties. and must be considered by every
one wishing to excel as fly caster. To
specify an arbitrary weight-and-length
rod would be not only not feasible, but
unjust as well, for the reason that men
are not all alike physically, and therefor
the man of strong arm and muscle must
OF necessity, to feel at home with the rod,
WELD one OF greater weight than the
weaker armed or muscled man. Still,
| there is limit to both weight and length.
Recognizing these facts, much thought
has been expanded in formulating gen.
eral rule covering this point, the result
of which is presented herewith: For
single-hand casting the rod should be
| So to 101s feet long, three joints and
buuuiu Wcieut III sptit udnbOOs uOt iuofe
than thre-qusrters Of an ounce to the
running foot of its entire length, and in
solid rods not more than one ounce to
the foot; in both instances reel plates,
ferrules, guides-in short, complete rod
ARE weighed in. This rule, while gen.
eral, yet has its limits, and any angler
can find his eft" and not be considered
ultra.
The best reel for fly fishing is one with
light clip, and it should be attached to
the rod below the band grasp.
| The best line to use for trout is braid
ed enameled waterproof silk, size F, G or
II, and the line must suit the rod. Fifty
| yards is sll the length required in any
instance. The line should be dried after
fishing, and should be reversed occasion
ally on the reel to prevent weakening al
one end only
Nine feet of 6ne, natural gut leader,
with three flies attached, is proper for
trout fishing; the middle stretcher SO
inches from the dropper; the hand stretch
er "a inches.
To cast fly press the elbow into the
side Of the body, and in all subsequent