x INTRODUCTION 



what skill was exercised in handling the rod, 

 no fish with ordinary fishy brain would glance at, 

 much less leave his resting-place to examine. I 

 am rather inclined to believe that these mon- 

 strosities frighten the fish. A little knowledge 

 of the subject of fly -tying would save these 

 anglers days of disgust and disappointment. 

 Salmon fly-tying is a most fascinating subject : 

 partly because there is so much variety in it, 

 partly because (to those who strive for perfection) 

 of the difficulties. In nearly every fly that he 

 makes the beginner will find something new to 

 learn, some new fact to make a note of. Practice 

 there must be. Even those who can tie small 

 trout flies well, and can handle silk, etc., easily, 

 will find a salmon fly a very different thing at 

 first : there are so many more details to attend to, 

 and so many more difficulties to be overcome. 

 Perfection in fly-tying is not absolutely necessary 

 to ensure success ; but it will generally be found, 

 I think, that those who have well-tied flies are 

 more successful than those who have badly tied 

 ones. 



Mechanical perfection alone, though, will not 

 ensure beauty in a fly ; for, however well a fly 

 may be tied, if harmony of colour is absent, half 

 the pleasure to the eye, or satisfaction to the 



