INTRODUCTORY. 27 



Hies of his which were literally covered with glitter ; 

 others, likewise, he fabricated in the Irish style, with 

 n redundancy of the golden pheasant feather under the 

 outer wing, and, to say the truth, they proved in his 

 hands remarkably successful. He once recommended 

 to us a small hook with a light, blue silk body, which 

 he affirmed would prove very deadly on the salmon 

 species in large, clear waters, during the summer 

 months. We never used it, not because we doubted 

 its efficacy, but our experimenting moods are entirely 

 worn off, or, like all anglers, we look upon innovations 

 with a sort of horror. 



Leister, when angling, was accustomed to vary his 

 flies every half-hour, and in the case of a salmon 

 refusing the hook, he would run over his whole stock 

 in endeavouring a second time to bring it to the sur- 

 face. This is not an uncommon practice with some, 

 who, upon raising a fish, have recourse with as much 

 speed as possible to a new and totally different fly. 

 Others, again, recur to the one in use, but refrain 

 from recasting the line until sufficient rest has been 

 allowed to the fish. 



Among the members of our modern fraternity, 

 Leister found a powerful rival in the person of Tom 

 Otter. Tom, however, did not equal him as a fly- 

 fisher, but in the management of the minnow was 

 greatly his superior. He had a way of attaching his 

 bait, which gave it a particularly captivating appear- 

 ance. Under his management, it span with unparal- 



