1 66 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



but I do not think they are really necessary, and 

 for all-round work a fly one inch long is quite big 

 enough. It is hard on an ordinary trout-rod to 

 have to cast anything larger, and harder still when' 

 it comes to hooking a fish, for the big hook needs 

 a good deal of driving home. Therefore, if the novice 

 has most of his flies varying from half an inch to 

 one inch, with two or three bigger ones for 

 occasional use, he will be well enough equipped. 

 Salmon flies are expensive and his selection will cost 

 him from gd. to is. 6d. apiece at a good shop. 

 The March browns and Alexandras cost less. It 

 pays in the long run to get really good flies as 

 they last so much longer. Cheap flies have an 

 irritating habit of coming to pieces after a little 

 use. In choosing his flies the novice will be 

 confronted with the question, gut or metal eyes ?' 

 For trout I do not think it matters, from the point 

 of view of hooking fish, but the metal eye is more 

 durable, and therefore is perhaps to be recom- 

 mended. 



The gut can be attached to it in the manner 

 already prescribed, but a better knot for big flies is 

 the Turle (Plate I., Fig 7). This is easily tied as- 

 follows : Pass the end of the gut through the eye 

 of the hook from the side furthest away from the 

 hook point, run the hook up the cast for 6in. or so,. 



