266 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



The Garry is an excellent early spring river, whereas the Ness, 

 through which all the Garry fish run, is but an indifferent one. 

 The Ness is a fair summer river, and also gives plenty of grilse 

 and large sea trout to the rod later on, the salmon run of the 

 largest size. The streams and pools on the Ness are remarkably 

 fine and bold. The casts are mostly fished from a boat, though, 

 in places, they can be fished from the shore. 



For so large a river as the Ness, the flies used are very small. 

 One of the best killers, which I found to answer on the Ness 

 better than any fly I could dress or obtain, was an old Thurso 

 pattern which I obtained from Mr. Dunbar years ago. I had 

 three of them, and they had lain in my book for years without 

 being used ; but if you keep a fly long enough, it is sure to come 

 in useful at last. Johnnie Macdonald " joost liked the look 

 o' 'em," and I joost took Johnnie's " adveece," and I did well 

 with them when I distinctly failed with other flies. They had 

 been dressed small, I conclude for very young and late patterns, 

 if they were meant for the Thurso. 



No. i. Tag, silver tinsel and orange floss ; tail, a topping 

 and tippet sprigs ; but, pale blue ostrich herl ; body, two 

 turns of light blue-green floss ; yellowish olive-green pig's 

 wool, with a bit of orange at shoulder ; silver tinsel ; bright 

 claret hackle ; wing, a tippet and saddle feather, gold pheasant 

 tail, and a good bit of wood-duck on either side. 



No. 2. Tag, silver tinsel, lemon floss ; tail, one topping ; 

 body, yellow one-third, the rest dark red (almost claret) pig's 

 wool ; silver tinsel ; medium blue mohair tied on in locks at 

 the shoulder for hackle, grouse hackle over it ; under wing, 

 a small tippet feather, over, strips of bustard, peacock, pintail, 

 and dark orange-yellow swan. A very good fly. 



No. 3. The Denison is said to kill well at times there, and as 

 the Speaker's brother, who is the godfather to it, is a very 

 successful fisherman there, we may conclude that the informa- 

 tion is pretty accurate. Tag, one turn of silver twist, ditto of 

 claret, and ditto of yellow floss ; tail, one topping, and a slip 

 of wood-duck ; butt, black ostrich ; body, one half silver 

 thread, and the other light blue floss ; silver twist ; hackle, 

 light blue (only down to the silver), blue jay at the shoulder. 

 So far the fly is a compromise between the two Doctors. The 

 wing, however, is peculiar, having a greasy look from the two 

 gold pheasant rump feathers in it. Imprimis, two tippet 

 feathers, with a jungle cock on either side as long as the hook, 

 over these again two gold pheasant rump feathers (same size 



