84 The Atlantic Salmon 



past he may have reached the point where his 

 appetite, or whatever it is which induces him to 

 rise, impels him to take one or some particular 

 passing fly. There is an instant when a salmon 

 changes his mind from a state of apathetic in- 

 difference to flies in general, to a desire to seize 

 any fly or some especial one that may be pre- 

 sented him. I have known of several instances 

 in support of this statement. A friend of mine 

 was fishing the big pool at Metapedia before the 

 club was formed, and when it was free to all of 

 the guests at Dan Frazer's hotel. Close behind 

 him and in line followed two canoes, an angler in 

 each, and all three were using the same fly, a 

 Jock Scott. My friend fished down to the bridge 

 without a rise, while each of the men not two 

 minutes behind him took a good fish from the 

 water he had just gone over. My friend had un- 

 doubtedly cast over these salmon, and had his 

 followers taken them so soon after with different 

 flies, he would naturally have concluded it was 

 not the Jock Scott that was wanted. This in- 

 cident proved, and I have others in my mind 

 nearly as conclusive, that a salmon may become 

 a rising fish almost in the twinkling of an eye, 

 and will, so soon as the change occurs, rise to a 



