76 Salmon Fishing'. 



of native skill, most beautifully tied, but far 

 too gaudy to tempt me to try them. The 

 glimpse I had of them confirmed me in a 

 previous suspicion, that most of the flies in my 

 book were too large ; and I determined to drag 

 myself from my bed the next morning two 

 hours earlier than usual to concoct a few smaller, 

 and as I hoped, more seductive to the fish. 



"What a delighful occupation," said a fair 

 friend who saw me not long since busily engaged 

 in fly-making, with a medley of materials around, 

 pretty enough in her eyes, no doubt, but very 

 perplexing to me. 



Not very " delightful" did I find the " occu- 

 pation," at the early hour before mentioned ! 

 Sometimes a sudden fit seizes me for two or 

 three days together to sit down for an hour 

 or two, and invent new patterns of flies, in 

 accordance with sundry fancies that flit across 

 me. And then, I admit that the occupation 

 is far from disagreeable. But to be forced 

 (morally speaking) to rise at so unseasonable 



