130 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING 



runs more quietly and evenly, a smaller one serves 

 the purpose best. Thus you should change your 

 fly in every stream once or twice. A large and rather 

 gaudy fly is preferable when the river is full and 

 discoloured, that the salmon, which lie at great 

 depths, may see it ; but I never had any great 

 success with very gaudy flies, either in the Tweed 

 or elsewhere, in clear and low waters. Salmon will 

 rise at them, it is true ; but those that have been 

 long in the water will not take them freely when 

 the river is in the state I have spoken of, though 

 they excite their curiosity, and serve them for 

 playthings. I believe it is the fashion now to think 

 otherwise ; so that in these days a golden pheasant's 

 feathers are in as high estimation in Scotland as they 

 always have been in Ireland. 



In tying your flies, you may have some regard 

 to the harmonic colours, as less startling and more 

 natural. You may laugh, if you please, but I would 

 fain think there is something in this. If you know 

 them not, consult Sir David Brewster's table of 

 spectral colours in his distinguished Philosophical 

 Magazine. 



I have said that there is no animal in nature 

 resembling our salmon flies ; but I once caught a 

 fish who was certainly persuaded that he was 

 attacking an animal that he had previously seen 

 flying. This event happened when I was a novice. 

 Walter Ronaldson was attending me, and we were 

 walking by the side of the Elm-wheel in the Pavilion- 

 water. Walter was some way in advance, when I 

 saw a white butterfly fluttering up and down over 



