162 8ALMONIA. [SIXTH DAY 



PHYS. Can you tell us why the fish rise better at 

 the fly when the tide is flowing, than when it is ebbing ? 

 There seems no reason why flies should be sought for 

 by the fish at one of these seasons, rather than at 

 the other. 



HAL. The turn of the salt water brings up aquatic 

 insects, and perhaps small fish; and I suppose salmon 

 know this, and search for food at a time when it is 

 likely to be found. I cannot think, that in these 

 pools they can be on the look-out for flies, for there 

 are never any on the surface of the water; and I 

 imagine they take the gaudy fly, with its blue king- 

 fisher and golden pheasant's feathers, for a small 

 fish. 



ORN. I have always supposed, that they took it 

 for a libellula, or dragon-fly ; for I have often seen 

 these brilliant flies haunting the water. 



HAL. I never saw a dragon-fly drop on the water, 

 or taken by a fish ; and salmon sometimes rise even in 

 the salt water, where dragon-flies are never found. 

 There is no difficulty in explaining why salmon in 

 inland rivers should take flies, where natural flies are 

 abundant ; but fish, when they have lain long in pools 

 in the river and fed on natural flies, will no longer 

 take these bright flies, and then even a trout-fly is 

 often most successful. I have sometimes thought 

 that the rising of salmon and sea trout at these bright 



