EXPERIMENTS EECENTLY MADE. 43 



In order to convince myself completely of the 

 demerits of the rapid working of the salmon-fly 

 through the water, I used to frequently request, 

 during an experimental excursion made last season, 

 an excellent angling guide I had with me to take 

 my rod, throw the fly downwards obliquely across 

 the stream, bring it round rapidly into the current, 

 and work it rapidly against it. Whilst this was 

 going on, I was placed in such a position as to 

 observe thoroughly the effect of the rapid working 

 of the rod and line on the appearance of the fly in 

 the water, and on its progress through it : I could 

 see the substance of the fly compressed to dispro- 

 portionate tenuity, and I could see it cleave the 

 current by " spurts," so long and rapid as to be 

 inconsistent with the ordinary progressive powers 

 of natation or of flio-ht. I have seen a salmon 

 follow a fly worked thus rapidly into the cur- 

 rent and up it, and I have seen the fish, unable 

 to overtake the bait, give up the pursuit and drop 

 back again to the spot from which it had risen. 

 I would then request my angling assistant to 

 rest for five or six minutes, and to throw as before, 

 but to work the fly gently. I have seen the same 

 salmon rise again, follow the fly with moderate 

 haste and opened mouth, and as the bait descended, 

 and as it was moving away with collapsing, not 



