COLOURS IN ANGLERS' FLIES 193 



or tinsel ; but all the meticulous minutiae of the 

 fly-dresser have disappeared. 



Half a century ago the salmon flies of the 

 Tweed, and generally throughout Scotland, 

 were sombre affairs, as is seen by the patterns 

 of Stoddart and others ; black, red or claret 

 mohair or pigswool, a hackle dyed or plain, a 

 turkey, mallard or teal wing, with perhaps a 

 little tinsel. But Stoddart thought it wiser that 

 the tinsel, if used, should be tarnished. When 

 later the fashion of using the bright, so-called 

 Irish, flies came in, the solemn warning was 

 given that the fish were being frightened back 

 into the sea. 



To-day the gaudy fly reigns almost indisputed. 

 Yet there are many anglers, and these not the 

 least experienced, who hold that if the old quiet 

 patterns were once more fished as assiduously 

 as the new the results would be much or 

 quite the same ; that the ' best fly,' in fact, is 

 still that which is oftenest and longest in the 

 water. 



Formerly there were few professional tackle- 

 makers. Flies were dressed by the angler 

 himself or obtained from the local semi-profes- 

 sional who, in the days of unprotected waters, 

 was everywhere to be found. These naturally 

 used the materials readiest to hand, and the 



