TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT 65 



ing in Tweed by my attendant telling me a ' Jock 

 Scott ' used to be a good fly, but that the fish did not 

 take it much just now. He was a first-rate fisherman 

 of great experience, and I hardly dared to tell him 

 that I thought old ' Jock ' would turn out as useful as 

 ever if it was given the chance ; but the sequel proved 

 that I was right, for a few days afterwards I killed 

 two fish on that fly in that very water. My belief is 

 that a few patterns, each of different sizes, are a 

 sufficient equipment. A ' Blue Doctor ' is my 

 favourite fly, and with that and a ' Silver Doctor,' a 

 ' Butcher,' a ' Black Dog ' — a fly with a black body 

 with silver twist, a red head and a rather sober wing — 

 and 'Jock Scott,' I am inclined to think that one can 

 catch fish anywhere. I like my flies tied upon double 

 hooks. Apart from the greater likelihood of securing 

 fish, I think they hang and work better in the water. 

 In places where the river is clear of obstacles and 

 weeds I am guilty of the heresy of using a dropper, 

 a small sea-trout fly, and have often caught salmon 

 as well as trout upon it. I think there is something 

 particularly attractive about the play of the dropper, 

 as on some occasions nearly every fish of the day 

 has risen to it. In illustration of the theory that 

 numerous changes are not very necessary, I have 

 often changed the tail fly two or three times to 



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