200 LOCH-FISHING. 



may be used than where they are much fished for, 

 or shy from any cause, as a shy fish is very 

 suspicious, and will detect the counterfeit in a 

 smaller fly than another fish will. It is exceed- 

 ingly difficult to regulate the size and colour of 

 flies by theory, but in practice it is much simpler. 

 Keeping the general principles in mind, the angler 

 should commence with two or three different sizes 

 and several different colours, and when he ascer- 

 tains which is taking best, regulate accordingly. 

 Just as in river-fishing it is advisable, if the trout 

 evince a decided preference for one fly, to put on 

 two or three of that description. 



The gut upon which loch-flies are dressed, and 

 by which the casts are made up, is in general far 

 too thick. All the fine hanks are selected for 

 river purposes, and the strong white glittering 

 ones set aside for loch-fishing, as if gut could not 

 be got sufficiently thick, and a locbyfcrout would 

 seize a fly at the end of anything. It is quite true 

 that stronger gut may be used with success in 

 lochs than in rivers, yet the finer the gut the 

 better the chance of success. In all kinds of 

 angling, it is of the utmost importance to have the 

 connecting link between the lure and the rod as 

 little seen as possible. Their common use of thick 

 gut is one of the reasons why anglers meet with 

 no success when there is no wind, and with but 

 little when there is only a gentle breeze. It is 

 erring on the safe side to use fine gut, and we 



