"HAWK-BILL" SALMON 141 



I was fishing one afternoon in June, 1886, 



between the Davison's Mills, located within 



a mile of the tide. This pool was, and is, one 



of the best on the river. There were fully 



fifty fish in sight, playing in the runs, rolling 



out their big backs, and wagging their immense 



tails here, there, and everywhere, catching the 



little eels that were dropping down with the 



current. Although I tried at least twenty 



flies of every imaginable make and size, and 



would place them alongside their heads, yet 



they would take the eel, ignoring me and my 



fly. These were hawk-bills, large male fish, 



and their indifference to the fly was caused 



largely by the lowness of the stream and the 



warmth of the water, which made them 



sluggish. As there was likely to be a heavy 



sea-fog that night, which would cool the 



surface of the water some, I decided to try 



them early in the morning, as I did want to 



get fast to one of those big fellows. So just 



at daylight the anchor was dropped at the 



head of the deepest pool, at the eastern end of 



the first reef. It was still so dark that a light 



fly had to be used, so I selected a White 



Admiral, an inch long. Anything longer 



