266 ON SALMON-FISHING WITH THE FLY. 



particular hook, used under such circumstances, over the 

 tastes and caprices of the general body. 



For my own part, I am commonly content to find 

 out a killing fly in the one which induces fish to rise ; 

 and the reason I have for substituting another, should 

 a salmon merely break the surface without taking hold, 

 is not that I expect the substitute to prove a whit more 

 enticing, but I would do all in my power to prevent the 

 distrust and alarm possibly consequent upon a repeated 

 transit of the identical lure. This distrust, however, be 

 it noted, is only a possible event, as regards the fly-hook 

 in question; and the substitution of another, so far 

 from acting as a counter-charm, may, on the contrary, 

 operate strongly to my prejudice, occasioning or con- 

 firming the very alarm I am endeavouring to suppress. 



The expediency, therefore, of changing the fly imme- 

 diately, over a grilse or salmon, on the failure of its 

 attempt to take hold, is very questionable ; nor although 

 occasionally acting on it, am I a slave to the practice. 

 If led to believe that the fish has missed his aim, less from 

 shyness than over-keenness or, it may be, owing to the 

 inconvenience of place and position, the rapid nature 

 of the current, improper management of the line, or other 

 such cause, most assuredly I would not change the fly 

 over him, until convinced that he had no inclination to 

 rise a second time ; even then, I should be chary of be- 

 stowing a new hook without allowing him an interval of 

 rest not shorter than a quarter of an hour. In passing, 

 however, the first fly over him a second time, I would 

 use little or no delay. The humour he is in for rising 

 at it has already been tested, and there is some possibi- 

 lity of its subsiding, should the opportunity be given. 

 Was I convinced, however, that the fish started came 

 towards the hook in a dubious, distrustful mood, I 



