en \it. vii. Batik Heresy. '.'1 



question to which there is no answer with a good reason for it, 

 Buch as I should like tu have at the hark of my beliefs. There 

 are pretty nearly as many opinions "it the point as there are 

 Balmon-flies, and not one of them is satisfactorily supportable, 



that is, be it added with becoming modesty, in my humble 

 opinion. As far as I can see, it is simply a matter of fancy. 

 1 gnize no principle underlying the colouring of a 



salmon or Mahseer fly, nor can I conceive why a salmon should 

 oare a button whether or not every one of all the variously 

 lined feathers that go to make up some of the more expensive 

 salmon flies, are duly inserted, or more than half of them are 

 forgotten. Take any one of the more elaborate instructions for 

 tieing a salmon fly; I should very much like to seethe salmon 

 that could tell at a glance, as the fly passed him in the water, 

 whether or not the brown mallard, bustard, peacock, and blue 

 and yellow swan strips, and halt' a dozen more feathers, were 

 all duly in (heir place. I do not believe in such a salmon ever 

 having been hatched, no, not even " north of the Tweed." Why, you 

 could not tell yourself without taking the fly in your hand to have 

 a close look at it, nor could the very man that tied it : no more 

 can the salmon without taking it in his hand to feel, if not to 

 see. So that is just what he does. He sees something passing 

 him which he cannot quite make out, it may be good for food, 

 it may not; he will investigate; so he takes it in his mouth, 

 which is his only hand, with which he is accustomed to feel 

 and to taste doubtful objects, passing too rapidly to be quite. 

 made out by the eye, retaining those that are approved, and 

 ejecting the others. He takes your salmon fly in his hand, 

 meaning to throw it away if disapproved, but, before the spirit 

 of enquiry in hint is satisfied, your hook is into him, and he is 

 entering on new experiences. 



This is doubtless a very heretical doctrine that I am pro- 

 pounding. I know that the great majority of good salmon- 

 fishers are of the contrary opinion. To them the colours of 

 their flies are as sacred as the strands of their tartans; they 

 would not let you alter one feather; and they will say some- 

 thing about blending colours. 1 am afraid they will be down on 

 me heavily for this piece of heresy, and I should be overwhelmed 

 by their numbers and weight. There rises before me the fate 



