THE TAY 283 



river and weight of the stream, Tay fish nearly always show 

 great sport. The Tay has been rendered famous by poor 

 Leech, as it was on one of the best known parts_of the river 

 that the immortal Briggs killed the great salmon. A magnifi- 

 cent piece of water it is, and is known by the euphonious 

 title of Hell Hole. The system of letting fishing on the Tay 

 is a capital one, as it provides fishing for a large number of 

 persons at a moderate outlay, while the total of rents is con- 

 siderable. It is customary to take a certain water for one 

 special day per week throughout the season, five other persons 

 taking the other disposable five days, each lessee fishing it 

 in turn. It is best in summer and autumn ; gives a few fish 

 in the spring, but the best sport is in the autumn. 



The spring flies for the Tay are of the largest size. Like 

 those of the Dee they are tied upon very long shanked hooks, 

 but the round bend is perferred to the Limerick. 



The Black Dog. Tail, a tuft of olive-yellow pig's wool ; 

 body, black mohair ; gold and silver tinsel with orange silk 

 between ; two or three black hackles ; gallina at shoulder ; 

 wing, grey [speckled turkey, two long slips. The hook is 

 3| ins. long and of an inch wide, and the succeeding flies 

 run down to 2 ins. or even smaller. (Plate XV, Fig. 2.) 



The Tartan (Tay). Tag, silver twist ; tail, a slice of tippet 

 and orange-yellow pig's wool ; butt, peacock herl ; body, 

 pig's wool as follows, orange, yellow, bright pea-green, red, 

 and blue grey, dressed rough and picked out ; broad silver 

 tinsel gallina at shoulder ; wing, slips of grey and plight- 

 brown turkey, sprigs of yellow, red, and lavender swan with 

 a bunch of peacock herl over all ; peacock head. 



The Nicholson. This is a very gay affair. Tag, silver 

 twist ; tail, a topping, a bit of red parrot, and a wisp of red 

 mohair ; over this, as a butt, is wound on a blue jay hackle, 

 and over that black ostrich herl. The fly is then separated by 

 hackles into three divisions, and each of these divisions is in 

 two joints of different coloured floss. The lower joint is 

 scarlet and black, above this is another jay hackle and black 

 herl. The second joint is lemon and scarlet, and above this 

 is a scarlet hackle and black herl. The third joint is orange 

 and medium blue floss, over this medium blue hackle, and 

 above that a darkish orange coch y bondu hackle. Wing, 

 large cock of the rock or two orange hackles, strips of bustard, 

 argus, lightish turkey, lavender, yellow, and red swan, one 

 topping over all, jungle cock at cheeks ; peacock herl head. 



