224 



SIZE OF FLIES. 



where, as I told you, you should invariably adopt 

 a larger hook. For my own part, I would rather 

 be under than over the mark, and certainly think 

 that smaller hooks are much more generally suc- 

 cessful, even for moderately big fish, than large 

 ones, while it is very certain that the latter do 

 not take small fish. And I can also assure 

 you that in a day's fishing, in company with 

 an expert hand, who has differed from me upon 

 this point, with my small flies I have taken three 

 large fish to his one, or, which is a stronger 

 proof, in one instance, two large, and three or four 

 small ones to his nothing; and that, although his 

 skill was equal, if not superior, to mine. And it 

 is by no means uncommon in low bright water, to 

 take salmon from six to nine pounds with trout 

 flies, upon hooks as small as my No, 10. At the 

 same time I may tell you that I know of no 

 person taking to himself credit for any science 

 upon the subject, who asserts that large flies are 

 of any avail, either for trout or salmon, on shallow 

 streams. 



Herb. I have often heard, that it is an uni- 

 versally acknowledged rule that a larger fly 

 should be used very early in the morning, or 

 late in the evening. If you accede to this, may 

 I ask for what reasons ? 



Theoph. I will tell you. When a fish rises, 

 he is more or less on the feed, as we suppose, and 



