SIZE OF FLIES. 223 



racter, and the fish in proportion average larger ; 

 and there, perhaps, anglers would never think of 

 using any hook less than my number 2 or 3, 

 while here, and on other rivers less bold, four or 

 five pounds is called a salmon, and the general 

 average weight of those taken does not exceed 

 ten or twelve pounds, though a few are caught in 

 each season of five and twenty pounds and up- 

 wards. But you may be sure that the few who 

 pay attention to the matter study the size of the 

 hook they shall put on, and are much more suc- 

 cessful than those who have but one size, and 

 that a large one. Many, perhaps, are accus- 

 tomed to fish only in one place ; they occasionally 

 meet with success in deeps with their monster 

 fly, and then, without thinking about the matter, 

 extol nothing but large ones, and have no faith 

 in waters from five or six foot depth, which they 

 call shallows. Perhaps, however, I do wrong in 

 giving you an impression that it is only the un- 

 thinking who declare in favour of large hooks. 

 One or two first-rate, and really scientific fishers 

 of my acquaintance, let me tell you, are partially 

 of that school. I say " partially," because though 

 generally preferring large to small, they qualify 

 their partiality by this saying, namely, " Large 

 hooks catch large fish;" which, to a certain 

 extent, is indisputably true, because large fish, 

 especially trout, generally lie in deep water, 



