34 



a peacock's tail-feather; body, yellow silk and gold twist, with 

 a deep blood-red hackle for legs. 



Every fly-fisher who is experimentally acquainted with salmon- 

 fishing in Scotland, must have often observed what an immense 

 variety of flies are commonly used, and with almost equal success 

 by the numerous anglers who throng the streams in that country 

 on the height of the fishing seasons. We have seen salmon caught 

 in the Tweed, the Esk, the Dee, and the Clyde with the rudest 

 possible imitation of flies, shining in all the colours of the rainbow. 

 Indeed we have witnessed this fact so repeatedly, as to found 

 upon it an opinion that this species of fish are caught here with 

 much ruder implements, and with far less skill and dexterity than 

 in any other country with which ^ we are acquainted. This may 

 seem fanciful ; but, nevertheless, circumstances have fixed upon us 

 the belief. We once saw a shepherd boy, in Peebleshire, kill a 

 prime salmon, of twelve pounds weight, with a common hazel rod, 

 and an extraordinary hair line, without a reel or winch of any 

 kind upon it, and with a fly exactly like a large humble bee. He 

 hooked the fish in the deep part of a strong stream, and had 

 the sagacity and promptitude of action to throw his rod imme- 

 diately into the water after the rushing and powerful fish. The 

 force of the current took it down to the calmer end of the stream, 

 where the stripling caught hold of it again, and instantly suc- 

 ceeded in running the salmon into the next stream, and so on, till 

 he had artfully exhausted his captive, and forced him into a 

 shallow part of the water. Here he got him stranded with great 

 adroitness, and eventually conquered him in capital style. 



Instances of this kind are common all over the mountainous 

 parts of Scotland, where^ the greater portion of the rural popu- 

 lation, who are fond of fishing, use very homely and rude 

 materials. 



The flies to be used in Scotland in ordinary salmon-fishing, may 

 be enumerated as follows; the angler filling up the catalogue 

 according to his own fancy or experience. 



No. 7. Limerick. The body, claret and orange mohair, or red 

 cock's hackle, with green tip, ribbed with gold twist ; legs, black 

 hackle ; wings, turkey feather with white tip. 



No. 5. Body, greenish yellow mohair, ribbed with gold twist 

 and red tip ; legs, black hackle ; wings, mottled grey. 



No. 4. Body, one half pale red, the other half orange mohair 

 with gold twist ; tip, turkey's wing ; legs, red hackle ; wings, the 

 black and white tail feather of the turkey. 



In English rivers where salmon-fishing prevails, the general run 

 of flies employed is seldom so large as those employed in Scotland, 

 but are used of a great variety of colours. The best method, 

 perhaps, is to get flies dressed on such sized hooks, and in such 

 colours, and of such makes, as will answer generally for salmon, 

 sea-trout, common trout, &c., at all seasons of the year. 



As a general principle, it may safely be stated, that a certain 



