SECRETS OF THE SALMON 



A second necessity is a small box of deer's fat 

 for greasing the line. This should be done every 

 morning before beginning to fish, while the line 

 is still dry. If the line fails to float properly at 

 any time of the day it should again be greased. 

 It is very hard to pick up a line properly off the 

 water if it sinks and the sunken line always dis- 

 turbs the fish if it comes near them. This is the 

 main reason why wet-fly fishing stirs up a pool 

 and prevents the taking of more fish. A line 

 floating on the surface when not directly over the 

 fish will not scare them. 



If you cannot have a more expensive outfit you 

 should at least have a six-and-one-quarter-ounce 

 rod made as described with reel and line to suit, 

 and a fourteen-foot, eighteen-ounce rod built light 

 at the tip. If you can do so, add to this a light 

 regular fourteen-foot salmon rod, with its suitable 

 reel and line. If I had to go salmon fishing with 

 only one kind of rod, I should certainly take the 

 six-and-a-quarter-ounce tournament rod. I am 

 certain that during the whole season I should 

 hook and land more fish, and have a far better 

 time, than I possibly could have with any other 

 one salmon tackle, but its use on large fish re- 

 quires much skill and practice. I gave one of 



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