WHAT IS A SALMON FLY? 65 



more effective than any of the aboriginal type, 

 but, as a general rule, I have found that newly- 

 run fish in the lower waters are more readily cap- 

 tured with flies of the modest native pattern than 

 with the most brilliant exotics that can be pro- 

 duced by a combination of humming-bird, blue 

 and yellow macaw, orange-breasted toucan and 

 the variegated metallic plumage of the golden 

 pheasant. 



The term " fly " is clearly a misnomer. No 

 insect that ever winged the air bears the slightest 

 resemblance to any of these artificial lures, and 

 even if it did, the motion imparted to the latter 

 under water would be unnatural and impossible. 

 They are evidently taken by the salmon for some 

 of the numerous varieties of crnstncca prawns, 

 shrimps, &c. which, with echinodermata star- 

 fish, &c. constitute his rich repast in the depths 

 of the ocean. A conviction of the accuracy of 

 this surmise forced itself upon me a few years 

 ago, while lying down on the bank of a. small 

 clear pool, at the tail of a rush of water through 

 one of the lesser arches of Spey bridge, near 

 Fochabers, and attentively watching the motions 

 of a fly at the end of a long line thrown by a 

 young friend of mine an accomplished fisher- 

 man from over the parapet above. Its undulat- 



