144 I>AYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



efiorts of our greatest painters, and, although they may 

 be famihar with the history of every masterpiece, 

 they can put their finger on a fly that gives their 

 thoughts far more vigorous movement than any 

 ancient or m-odem painting has ever done. 



Old friends that have done good service we some- 

 times take from out their stalls, smooth their feathers 

 admire their ever}^ feature, and then replace them 

 with gentle care as we recall the times and places of 

 their triumphs. That old Butcher, whose once gaudy 

 garb is somewhat torn and faded, tells me of a great 

 victory of his when, after being unpardonably over- 

 looked until most other flies had been given a trial, 

 he beguiled a twenty-seven-pound salmon by the 

 taking way he swam while crossing in front of the 

 wouldn't-be-tempted fish. 



In the comer of the last leaf of my book there is 

 a feathery fly of many shades of brown that is nameless 

 but highl}^ prized because it is a rehc of my faithful 

 gillie, M'Leish. What a length of years following 

 each other without a break we fished together for 

 periods of from four to ten weeks, how we got on and 

 the sport we had, has been told in another book. 



At times it happened with us, even in early spring, 

 that the river fell so low that the fish needed much 

 tempting. On one of these occasions, just beyond 

 a black boulder, there were two grand fish, one of 

 which came boldly at a Childers, but, on closer inspec- 

 tion, did not like its looks. Later in the day it rose 

 at a Jock, but did not take it nor either of the many 

 other patterns I showed him on that day. We courted 

 him again and again, and were encouraged in our 

 attentions by the notiice he took of every fresh fly we 

 showed him. From this we gathered that we had not 

 put before this epicure what he hoped for. Indeed, it 

 was easy to divine what he told his mate about the 

 many gaudy disappointments that he inspected, and 

 we decided to try Mac s old Brown. 



