CHAPTER SIX SALMON FISHING 



greatest number, by usinoj small flies, though certainly too 

 small hooks are apt to lead to disappointment, by not taking 

 sufficient hold of this tender-skinned fish. As all rivers re- 

 quire different flies for sea-trout, no general rule can be giv- 

 en, but I never find myself unable to catch trout, if there are 

 any in the water, and I use either asmall palmer, red, black, 

 or white, and if these do not succeed, I try a small fly with 

 black or blue body, a turn or two of silver twist, no hackle 

 roundthe body, but a littleblack hackle immediatelyunder 

 the wings, which latter consists of lark's or hen blackbird's 

 feather, or that of some other bird of a similar pale grey 

 colour. I have often been amused by being told gravely by 

 some fishing-tackle maker in a country-town, when show- 

 ing him one of these simple flies. "Why, sir, that lly may do 

 now and then, but it is not fit for this river, and I am afraid, 

 sir, you will catch nothing with it." His own stock of flies, 

 which he wants to sell, being all of one kind probably, and 

 which he has managed to convince himself and others are 

 the only sort the fish in the neighbouring stream will rise 

 at. I remember one day on the Findhorn when the fish 

 would not rise at a fly, although they were leaping in all 

 directions. I put on a small white fly and filled my basket, 

 to the astonishment of two or three habitues of the river, 

 who could catch nothing. Having watched me some time, 

 and not being able to make out why I had such good sport, 

 they begged to look at my fly. They scarcely believed their 

 own eyes when I showed them my little white moth, which 

 the sea-trout were rising at so greedily; it being so unlike 

 the flies which from habit and prejudice they had been al- 

 ways accustomed to use. 

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