THE SALMON. 33 



The size and colour of the flies to be employed in salmon-fishing, 

 must always vary according to the nature of the waters, the state 

 of the wind, the season, and the depth and brilliancy of the stream. 

 There are scarcely any rules of an absolute or universal character 

 to be laid down. They are all subjected to modifications and ex- 

 ceptions. It is the knowledge when general rules are to be 

 followed, and when they are to be departed from, that constitutes 

 such an essential part of an angler's skill, and stamps him as a 

 master of his art. Experience must be our sole guide in this 

 important matter. 



Some gentlemen of an extensive and admitted piscatory know- 

 ledge, uniformly fish with dull-coloured flies ; others again, whose 

 claims to respect are equally high, employ extremely gaudy ones. 

 As far as our observation and practice go, we submit the following 

 list as the most likely to prove successful, when the waters are in 

 good order ; ior this is an essential matter. 



No. 1. Limerick A red cock hackle, ribbed with gold twist, 

 with drake wings of a tolerable length, and standing well out from 

 each other. 



No. 2. Body orange mohair ribbed with gold twist ; legs 

 a black hackle, and mottled grey feathers of the mallard's wing. 



No. 3. A red cock hackle, ribbed with gold twist, and wings of 

 the woodcock, set considerably apart. 



We have never known, of our own personal experience, very large 

 flies do much execution. The conformation of most of the rivers in 

 Great Britain and Ireland, which contain salmon, is, in our humble 

 opinion, decidedly unfavourable to the employment of such kinds 

 of flies. Indeed, in many streams, unless they are very much 

 ruffled by heavy winds, the expediency of using them becomes very 

 questionable; and for tin's single reason if any angler look 

 steadily and attentively at a large fly when in the water, he will 

 discover that it does not lie evenly upon it, so as to preserve the 

 shape of a natural fly ; the hook is too heavy for the superstructure 

 of feathers, and hence the fly rolls about in a very awkward and 

 unnatural manner. This, it will be readily admitted, defeats the 

 great end and object of fly-fishing deception. 



4 The practice, however, in Ireland is, to use very large and gaudy 

 flies ; and it is but natural to infer that the general practice arises 

 from a conviction of their utility. O'Shaughnessy, of Limerick, 

 has the reputation of making those most used and esteemed in 

 this country. 



Mr. Hansard, in his work " On Trout and Salmon Fishing in 

 Wales," recommends the following flies for that particular 

 country. 



For the Spring. Wings, dark brown, mottled feathers of the 

 bittern ; body, orange silk or worsted, with gold broad twist ; and 

 a smoky, dim hackle for legs. 



For Summer Wings, the brown, mottled feather of a turkey 

 {jock's wing, with a few of the green fibres selected from the eye of 



D 



