CHAPTER XVIII 



THE SALMON FLY VERSUS THE SPINNING LURE, 

 AND SOME RECORD TAKES 



The salmon fly and the spinning lure Colour of fly Size of lures 

 The number of hooks on a lure Advantages of the spinning lure 

 The selection of a salmon lure The Welsh Wye Some record 

 takes of salmon British Isles Another record A fifty-pound 

 salmon. 



THE SALMON FLY AND THE SPINNING LURE 

 The correct solution of the problem as to the appetite or 

 otherwise of the salmon when in fresh water should have a 

 very decided influence on the selection of flies with which 

 they are to be tempted. If it be an appetite which induces 

 the pursuit of the lure, then the desire of the fish will have 

 to be considered as an important factor, and the fly to be 

 used should be one which, when it is cast in the particular 

 water to be fished, appears in the guise of the most familiar 

 and best-liked food upon which the salmon has most recently 

 been feeding. The great difficulty, however, which will 

 beset the fisherman is that, among the extraordinary variety 

 of lures presented to the salmon, there are but few which 

 can be claimed as favouring the appearance of any well- 

 known or favourite food of the salmon, and he will, therefore, 

 be obliged to depend on the experience gained in the parti- 

 cular locality in which he is fishing for the most likely fly 

 to use. If, on the other hand, it may be (as I advance) 

 that destruction is the motive which induces the pursuit of 

 a moving object by the salmon, then the particular colour, 

 size, and shape should be selected which will most readily 



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