CHAPTER IV 

 WET-FLY FISHING 



THE wet fly is the regular orthodox way of fishing 

 for salmon. It has been described in countless 

 books and papers for many years much more 

 vividly than I could possibly do it. Therefore, 

 I am not going to tell about it fully, but would like 

 to make a few suggestions which may be helpful. 



In a recent English book, "Animal Life under 

 Water," by Francis Ward, the author attributes 

 the attractiveness of a fly largely to the flash it 

 gives in the water as it moves. He has taken under 

 water photographs showing the flash which is due 

 to the action of light reflected from it. I have 

 no doubt at all that this is true and explains much 

 we do not understand. My chapter on "What 

 the Fish Sees" is an elaboration of this idea to- 

 gether with further experiments of my own. Mr. 

 Ward shows that a small fish in the water, due to 

 the shining scales and colors, which act as mirrors 

 in the water and reflect the surroundings, is almost 

 invisible to the other fish. When, however, a 

 fish turns and twists in the water, he catches the 



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