Salmon Fishing. 



easier, to fabricate salmon-flies. And as for 

 the materials give me a Gold Pheasant's skin, 

 plenty of floss-silk, mohair of different colours, 

 and hackles which you can easily dye yourself, 

 with some odds and ends besides, and I care 

 not for much else. Of course, if I can get hold 

 of a Jungle-cock's skin, and good Turkey tail- 

 feathers, &c., I am not backward in welcoming 

 the addition. As I intend my flies for my 

 own use, I take good care that they are quite 

 reliable. Scarcely ever do I trust a hook with- 

 out trying its temper with such a wrench in a 

 piece of soft wood, as no fish is likely to give. 

 And the loop at the head of the fly I make 

 as small as possible, not of twisted, but of the 

 stoutest round gut I have at hand. Though 

 bought flies usually have ostrich-harl wound 

 round their heads, which gives them a natty ap- 

 pearance, I have, perhaps, the questionable taste, 

 seldom, if ever, to imitate them, as the fly, I 

 fancy, travels through the water better without 

 it, and is not the less deadly in other respects. 



