SALMON FLIES, KNOTS, AXIOMS, ETC. 305 



advice of those who are acustomed to fish on the water to 

 which you are going. 



An assortment of nine or ten of the different flies most 

 likely to be suitable on the river and to the conditions of 

 each day, can be carried by the fisherman in a small Japanned 

 fly box. 



The salmon fly book in which are kept the main stock of 

 flies can generally be left at your sleeping quarters. The 

 fly book is to the salmon fisherman, what the trout fly 

 cabinet is to the dry fly fisherman. 



If possible salmon flies should be thoroughly dried before 

 being put back into the case, or returned to the salmon book. 

 It is not a bad plan to have a large safety pin, on which to 

 string the flies as they are taken off the cast, securing the 

 pin to the cap. 



If the feathers, etc., used in the flies are of the best material, 

 and if these be carefully tied on the best quality of japanned 

 and eyed steel hooks, each fly dried after use and before 

 being placed in the fly book, box or cabinet, and protected 

 against moth in the off season, the usefulness of each fly will 

 extend over many years of active fishing. 



Shop dressed flies are " things of beauty," but rarely 

 " a joy for ever " ; and a considerable portion of their top 

 dressing can frequently be dispensed with (see Captain de 

 Winton's letter, page 348). 



KNOTS AND GUT. FLEXIBLE AND METAL EYES 



Salmon flies, the eyes of which are made with flexible 

 material, are readily and easily attached to your cast, 

 and if the end of the final strand of your gut cast be made 

 into a loop, the lower bight of this loop can be threaded 

 through the eye of the fly, and passed down and over the 

 body of the fly. The loop can then be drawn close up to the 

 neck of the eye. 



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