Salmon Fishing. 23 



As the fond parent usually regards his own 

 little bantling with partial eyes, so is it not un- 

 natural for us to do the same, in regard to the flies 

 we fabricate ourselves. The best proof of their 

 goodness, however, lies in their killing powers. 



Not long since I was seated by the window- 

 ledge in my den in the mountains, with two 

 or three flies before me, which I had just com- 

 pleted, when two fishing friends entered the 

 room. The younger of the two took up the 

 flies, and nodded to the other, as much as to 

 say, " Let's have your opinion about them?" 

 Now, though speaking at the time to an old 

 friend who was present, I could not help hear- 

 ing and seeing what passed. After turning 

 the hackles, as well as the materials of the 

 mixed wings I had taken such pains to select, 

 more than once, to my horror, the contrary 

 way, and looking very knowing all the while 

 the one appealed to whispered in the ear of 

 the other, though not too softly for me to 

 hear, " Beautiful flies, but they want life." 



