SECRETS OF THE SALMON 



fish and how to cast it and lead it to make the fly 

 go at just the proper rate when it was passing by 

 where the salmon could see it. They complain 

 that this is luck or black art. It is neither, it is 

 simply years of observation and study and is no 

 accident. A good fisherman must have a universal 

 memory and be an acute observer. If your ex- 

 perience has shown you what to do you can gen- 

 erally find a way. 



People often ask if it is not difficult to play a 

 good-sized salmon on a light rod and does not take a 

 long time to land him. When it is properly done 

 a salmon can be killed very quickly with a light 

 rod, but it all depends on the way it is handled. 

 The salmon is not usually a very strong fish, 

 he makes rapid rushes and jumps, but soon tires 

 if he is made to swim fast. With a light rod the 

 trick is to make him swim as much and as fast as 

 possible. Use the pull of the line to irritate him 

 and not to check his run. Make him run more and 

 never hold a fish hard enough to stop him unless 

 he is going into some obstacle or around a boulder 

 or log. Most fishermen try to fight the fish by 

 holding him back. This is not as tiring as making 

 him swim, particularly as making him swim against 

 the current. The rod should be held vertical and 



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