26 ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 



with the rest, when in the act of throwing. We 

 have heard him remark that he gained above a 

 fathom of water by this system, but we never had 

 the inclination, or perhaps the necessity, to adopt 

 it ourselves. 



The tackle of Jack Leister was of a first-rate descrip- 

 tion ; he prided himself greatly upon his ingenuity in 

 fabricating flies, and he always kept an excellent 

 selection of gut. He likewise made his own rods, and 

 we have seldom handled better wands. The butt- 

 piece was generally constructed of choice fir, and the 

 upper half (for they were of the tie sort, and in two 

 parts only) fashioned of hickory wood. In the grasp, 

 they were light as a riding whip, and so handy, a very 

 infant might brandish them. They managed the line 

 as if it were wild-fire, and, over an impetuous and 

 fresh-run fish, possessed almost incredible power. 

 Their spring was at the same moment strong and 

 facile ; they bent to a struggling par, but resumed 

 their arrowy straightness with a tired salmon. 



The fly-collection of our friend Leister showed him 

 to be a disciple of the old English school. He was 

 marvellously fond of variety, and sported at least fifty 

 sorts and sizes of insects. The smallest shadow of 

 difference in the wing, dribling, or hackle, was to him 

 of the greatest consequence. He had a mortal aversion 

 to the plain brown palmer, one of the most killing 

 lures we are acquainted with, and his partiality to tinsel 

 was somewhat extravagant. We have seen salmon 



