WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



feather off a jay's wing. For the head, a small portion of 

 that substance called pig's wool, so mysterious to the un- 

 initiated, pigs not being the usual animals from which wool 

 is supposed to be derived;then finished off with a fewturns 

 of black ostrich feather; not forgetting that finish to the 

 whole, two horns of red and blue macaw's feather. Now, 

 all this makes a fly, either of the dragon or some other spec- 

 ies, which no salmon who is in a taking mood (one can 

 hardly suppose he swallows it out of hunger) can resist. 

 See the gallant fish, as he rises suddenly up from the dark 

 depths of the pool, poises himself for a moment, as the fly 

 hovers before him, in the twirling eddy, then darts forward, 

 seizes the gaudy bait, and retreats again apparently well 

 satisfied with his skill in fly-catching, till he suddenly finds 

 himself pulled up,and heldfast bythe unexpected strength 

 of the insect. I suspect that a salmon, after a quarter of an 

 hour's struggle on a line, would scarcely call the fisherman 

 at the other end "a fool," even if he took the fly to be some 

 newly discovered glittering worm. Skill in fly-fishing can 

 only be acquired by practice, and no directions can make 

 a good angler. And even when fairly hooked, a salmon is 

 only to be held by a happy mixture of the stiaviter in modo 

 dind/ortiter in re, which keeps the line at a gentle but firm 

 stretch, from which he cannot escape by dint of straight- 

 forward pulling — -to which the skilful fisher must gradually 

 yield, to prevent too much strain on his slight line. Nor, 

 on the other hand, ought the fish to be allowed, by the ang- 

 ler slackening the line, to get a sudden jerk at it, by means 

 of a fresh rush, as few lines or hooks can stand this. 



Infishingforsea-trout, Ialwayskillthelargestfish,andthe 



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