THE SALMON^. 91 
craft of venerie," and wonder at the resources of the 
wilderness, and on your return thank me not, if you can. 
But that you may do it well, read the following prosy 
instructions carefully, for if they be not entertaining 
they be useful. 
The rod for salmon fishing should be from sixteen to 
twenty feet long ; one of sixteen, or even fifteen, if well 
made and elastic, will answer. It must be strong and 
stiff, but not too heavy, and the further it will cast the 
greater will be the success. Salmon are more wary than 
trout ; if they see a horrible, ill-shapen being, like man, 
lashing at them with a long whip, they lie close to the 
bottom, and it is only by keeping well out of sight, and 
never disturbing or approaching the pool, that they can 
be tempted. A short rod, though it may be capable of 
casting the requisite distance, will not give sufficient 
command nor enable the angler to lift the fly with 
facility. 
The fly must be cast straight, light, and as far as pos- 
sible ; it must be put exactly upon the right ripple, and 
must fall like a snow-flake ; it should, if the water 
is still, be allowed to sink a few inches and then drawn 
up to and along the surface a foot or so, again allowed to 
sink, and so on till it is raised for another cast. It is not 
moved as rapidly, nor with precisely the same tremulous 
motion as in trout fishing. Often a long time passes 
before a fish, no matter how plenty they may be, will 
rise ; and when he does come, it is as often to play with 
and slap at the fly as to take it. Nothing is more pro- 
vokingly exciting than to have a magnificent fish rush 
again and again at your fly, leap over and around it, 
