THREE MSHERS, AND SOME BIG FISH 153 



1873. A salmon of 53!, Ib. was taken in the Tweed, 

 and one of 57 Ib. on the Suir in Tipperary. 



1874. A salmon of 55^ Ib. was caught in the 

 Cumberland Derwent ; one of 50 Ib. in Loch Tay ; 

 one of 57 Ib. in the Suir, Tipperary, by a professional 

 angler. An amusing account of the capture of this 

 fish, by the late Mr. Richard Bradford, a local inspector 

 of fisheries, appeared in the ' Field ' of February 9, 

 1895. I* was to tne following effect : 



The fish was caught on Longfield by Michael 

 Maher. The river was reported coloured, and Maher 

 left his flies at home and trusted to baits. When he 

 reached the river he found the water was too clear 

 for the Devon, and he was at his wits' end, as he had 

 no flies. He, however, was a man of resource. He 

 went into a farmhouse close by ; got some light 

 orange silk from the farmer's daughter ; some hackles 

 from a grizzled cock in the yard ; and with these and 

 a little silver tinsel he formed the body. He could 

 find nothing suitable for the wing, except some light 

 orange goose feathers (dyed) in the farmer's daughter's 

 hat. These made a decidedly clumsy fly ; but he tried 

 it, and in a very few minutes was fast in the fish, which 

 he landed in a very short time, and carried in triumph 

 to Cashel. When asked what fly he used, he answered, 

 'That's a mystery.' This gave rise to the adoption of 



