140 A RIVER OF NORWAY 



in the water. With regard to tippets for 

 wings, I have some black and white, instead 

 of the ordinary red and white, from (I think) 

 a cross between Reeve's Pheasant and the 

 Silver Pheasant, which I owe to the kindness 

 of a friend. These I find very useful. 



There are few of the accessories of angling 

 from which more pleasure may be got than 

 the practice of tying one's own flies. Not 

 only is the satisfaction of luring a fish thereby 

 vastly increased ; but one is never subjected 

 to the annoyance of running short of the 

 particular pattern or size, which the fish are 

 believed to be taking. In the bright days of 

 July, when it is better to wait till the sun 

 is off the water before disturbing it, time 

 often hangs heavy on the angler's hands ; if 

 he is a fly-tier, never. There is always some 

 job to be done ; if not a new and striking 

 creation to be worked out, destined to eclipse 

 all predecessors, at least an old fly to be fitted 

 with a new tail. Tying flies is a very easy 

 art to acquire up to a certain point; to excel 

 needs some practice and a certain neatness of 

 finger. Many are deterred by a belief that 

 an immense outfit of materials is necessary. 



