228 SIZE OF FLIES. 



a daring atrocity. Pike are found occasionally 

 gorged and half choked with one of their own 

 species, not much less in size, in their throats ; 

 though this again is only in ponds where food is 

 scarce, and therefore they are urged on by the 

 old adage, that " hunger has no law." And you 

 may depend, that these are unnatural feats on 

 the part of fish. Give me, therefore, small flies 

 in preference to large all the world over, whether 

 for trout or for salmon. 



Herb. — Why, then, let me ask you, do you 

 recommend any variation in the sizes of flies, 

 according to the difi^erent depths and degrees of 

 the clearness of the water ? 



Theoph. — Simply upon the principle of ex- 

 citing attention. That which he would discern 

 plainly from the bottom of four feet of water can- 

 not be so perceptible at a distance of twelve feet, 

 and, for the same reason, the faculty of vision is 

 less perfect in muddy, than in clear water, or in 

 cloudy than in clear weather ; and, therefore, you 

 must use a larger fly. Such have long been my 

 notions upon this subject, and though I am 

 willing to change them for better, considerable 

 experience has not afforded any inducement to 

 forego them. You will, of course, understand 

 me as using the terms large hooks and large flies 

 synonymously ; since you must always apportion 

 the quantity of material in the one to the size of 



