102 



The Gentle Art of Angling. 



tassel or other appendages which 

 flatter the taste of a pike should 

 embellish it. This bait is excel- 

 lent in deep water. I have proved 

 its efficiency so often that I strongly 

 recommend it. There is one ad- 

 vantage of highly - discoloured 

 water : it stops salmon from run- 

 ning. They will therefore be more 

 disposed to take a bait, a thing 

 they will not do when intent on 

 pushing their way up stream. A 

 big spoon flashing gold and silver 

 will be seen, and will tempt them 

 in the muddiest water. Angling 

 with the minnow and spoon, one 

 must use a suitable trolling rod. 

 It is destructive of a fly-rod to use 

 it for casting a heavy leaded bait, 

 and it is not the right weapon. I 

 have lost a great many salmon 

 with a spoon bait, and attributed 

 the misfortune to the lack of quick 

 and firm hooking. The stiffness 

 of a trolling rod expedites this 

 operation. One has to strike fairly 

 hard, and the gut trace must be 

 strong enough to allow this to be 

 done with impunity. I have found 

 a very efficient rod for this branch 

 of salmon angling in Messrs. Hardy 

 Brothers' " Salmo esox" It is 10 ft. 

 9 in. long, and weighs only 17^ oz. 

 It has a specially long spare top 

 for salmon, and, mounted with a 

 " Silex " reel, casts a very long 

 line. I have obtained a complete 

 mastery over a heavy salmon, 

 hooked on a prawn with this 

 weapon, in a swift and difficult 

 river. 



On the clearing of a spate one 



gets back to the flies as soon as 

 possible. Fresh fish will have 

 moved up, and old stagers will be 

 stimulated into a more taking 

 mood. The heavy pools will still 

 be unsuitable for anything but a 

 spinning bait. The lighter water, 

 however, will be in order for the 

 fly. A good deal will depend on 

 the patterns mounted. Bright 

 colours will do best. Contrasts 

 such as a black body ribbed with 

 broad silver twist show well in 

 discoloured water. Jungle cock, 

 close to the head on the outside 

 of the wings, and plenty of golden 

 pheasant crests are the dressings 

 that will give the best account of 

 themselves as the river falls. I 

 have a favourite fly, which has 

 invariably attracted a fish or two 

 under such conditions, called the 

 dyed guinea-hen. Tag : blue silk 

 floss, and two rolls fine silver 

 twist. Tail : g.p. crest, jungle 

 cock, and black ostrich herl. 

 Body : orange floss ribbed with 

 broad silver twist. Hackle : dyed 

 guinea-hen. Shoulder : blue jay. 

 Wings : a mixture of bronze mal- 

 lard, golden pheasant, teal, jungle 

 cock, and macaw. Head : black 

 ostrich. The guinea-fowl hackle 

 is dyed in a cupful of turmeric, 

 to which a small quantity of 

 saffron is added. A preference 

 should be given to the feathers 

 with small spots. Fishing with 

 this I have rarely had to wait 

 long for a tight line, an enjoy- 

 ment I heartily wish to all my 

 readers. 



