4.-S THE ESK. 



This id a fine river, and would be finer if the Solway 

 stake nets were only muzzled ; and a good many fish go 

 up it in summer and autumn, but the fish are not taken 

 freely much before the autumn, except with Stewart 

 tackle dressed of good size, when they appear to have a 

 mania for biting with their fins, to judge from the places 

 they are hooked in. The following four flies are the best 

 according to the cognoscenti. They were got from an old 

 miner who was said to be the piscatory Solomon of the 

 river after an expenditure of much time, patience, and 

 whiskey. 



No. 1. Tag, gold tinsel ; tail, some tippet and a strand 

 or two of orange hackle ; but, a turn of violet crewel ; 

 body, thin and of gold tinsel ; hackle black (not too 

 heavy) all the way up, gallina at shoulder ; wing a topping, 

 over that some wood-duck sprigs, then some of gold 

 pheasant tail, and lastly some washed-out dun turkey, a sort 

 of dust colour, rather more of this than of the rest ; but 

 the wing is not very heavy, and the fibres are loose ; head, 

 scarlet crewel (small). Hooks from Nos. 4 to 7. 



No. 2. Tag, gold tinsel; tail, sprigs of tippet and 

 wood-duck ; but, dark violet crewel ; body, two turns of 

 lemon-coloured crewel; the rest of black crewel; gold 

 thread; the only hackle a large spot gallina just dipped 

 in a lemon dye ; wing, a short point of sword feather, 

 some tippet sprigs, over that a little grey drake, and 

 over all two thin strips of \vashed-out dust-coloured 

 speckled turkey ; head, as before. Hook No. 4. 



No. 3. Tag, a turn of gold tinsel, and two of deep 

 orange floss ; tail, tippet sprigs and wood-duck ; but, 

 medium blue crewel ; body, reddish claret, (more of a dark 

 red than a claret,) pig's wool left roughish ; gold thread ; 

 hackle at shoulder only gallina ; wing, two strips of dirty 



