THE SALMON. 119 



the pattern, the size must be regulated by that of 

 the water, and the colour in a great degree by its 

 colour. Fish object to startling incongruities ; a 

 small fly is useless in a heavy water, and in a light 

 one a large fly only scares the fish ; small, bright 

 flies are essential in small, bright water, and large 

 flies, conspicuous with gold or silver twist, tell best 

 in heavy, dark water. 



The number of flies to be used depends upon 

 circumstances. Mr Francis, in his comprehensive 

 work upon angling, published two years ago, 

 says, if I remember rightly, "two or three;" but 

 except in his valuable work, I never heard the 

 latter number suggested, or of their being used by 

 any salmon-fisher. In rivers like the Tweed, the 

 bank, on one side of which, at least, is shelving, 

 and generally free from rocks, and in lakes 

 clear of water-weed, two flies may sometimes 

 be used with advantage ; but I question whether 

 the disadvantages do not preponderate. Two 

 flies, no doubt, afford the opportunity of practi- 

 cally testing the questions what size and what 

 predominant colour is for the time being most 

 in accord with the fishes' capricious taste, and you 

 have, as it were, a double chance ; the extent of a 

 fish's vision must begin and end somewhere, and 

 one fly may be within while the other is beyond 



