64 THE SALMON 



the neglect of the obvious precautions I am suggesting 

 to others, tempted beyond my powers, and sinning 

 against knowledge. 



Coming lastly to the fly, I know that I am on 

 more delicate and disputable ground. I am inclined 

 to think that colour matters very little indeed, but 

 am conscious that, nevertheless, I nearly always take 

 advice and use the fly that is most in vogue on the 

 water that I happen to be fishing at the time being. 

 I have the assurance at any rate that the particular 

 fly recommended to me has caught fish lately, and 

 therefore that it will in all probability do so again 

 under like conditions ; and although I may feel 

 pretty certain that a different one would meet with 

 the same success, I am not disposed to try experi- 

 ments on a strange water. As regards colour alone, 

 I must express a conviction that as a rule the reason a 

 particular fly kills most fish on a certain stretch of water 

 is that it is more used than any other, and faith is 

 a great element of success. On certain days a salmon 

 will take almost anything that is offered to him, on 

 others nothing will stir him. To quote Scrope 

 again, ' sometimes they will tak' the thoom o' yere 

 mitten, if you would throw it in, and at ithers they 

 wadna look at the Lady o' Makerstown and a' her 

 braws.' I was struck only the other day when fish- 



