222 SIZE OF FLIES. 



beginning by No. 6, and ending with No. 4. 

 and in dull weather, use No. 5, to No. 3. Ad- 

 hering to the same principles of calculation, in 

 water of eight feet deep, and under ten, I should 

 begin with No. 6, and finish with No. 3, and so 

 according to the increase of depth, I should put 

 on flies larger in the same degree, advancing one 

 number for every two feet of water. But the 

 largest I should ever think it necessary to use on 

 this river, is No. 1, whatever may be the state 

 of the water. 



Herb. I have been given to understand that 

 on some of the Scotch and Irish rivers they are 

 in the habit of always using flies much larger, and 

 as far as I can carry the sizes I have usually seen 

 for those rivers in my memory, there appears to be 

 none under the largest of those you advise to be 

 used here. Why should this great difference exist ? 



Theoph. I think you judge of the fact more 

 from those which fishing-tackle shops exhibit, 

 than from examining the collection of an expert 

 salmon fisher who ties his own. In Ireland, and 

 in Scotland, wise men, occasionally, and in the 

 former place for the most part, use flies quite as 

 small as those I recommend. You will observe, 

 that in some places nothing under five pounds, 

 and in others under seven pounds, is denominated 

 a salmon. But the rivers there are, many of 

 them, of a greater depth and of a bolder cha- 



