SALMON FISHING WITH THE FLY. 205 



manner. Hold the bend of the hook between the forefinger 

 and thumb of the left hand, and the head, where the wing is 

 attached, in those of the right hand. If the wing is firmly put 

 on it cannot be moved, but if the fly is badly tied the wing can 

 be shifted with ease right and left at an angle to its proper 

 position, in which case it should be discarded. Bought flies 

 are generally made with too much feather in the wing ; this is a 

 great mistake, especially in the case of a mixed wing. If the wing 

 is too heavy the fly cannot work properly ; every fibre of a 

 mixed wing should be separate in the water, and, if the angler 

 does his work properly, made to assume a natural and life- 

 like appearance. The loop also of a fly should be carefully 

 examined. It should be made of stout single or treble gut, 

 and on no account of thin gut. I prefer making loops of two 

 pieces of single gut to treble gut, as I think the latter is 

 more apt to fray the casting line where it is fastened to it. 

 Loops should always be tested by giving them a strong pull. 



It should be borne in mind by the maker of a fly, be he 

 professional or amateur, that not the least important part of 

 his work is to securely fasten the loop to the shank of the hook. 

 If this is neglected all the precaution the angler may have taken 

 will have been in vain. Before a fly is used the temper of the 

 hook should be tested by holding the shank between the fore- 

 finger and thumb, and having inserted the point in a piece of 

 soft wood, giving it a moderately hard pull. A hook that will 

 stand this test may be trusted. 



HOOKS. 



There are many different shapes of hooks, each of which 

 has its advocates, but I have not yet come to any conclusion 

 as to which is best to use. 



Opinions are often formed according as the fish take badly 

 or well. Supposing a man to have fished for a week with a 

 Limerick bend, when salmon were rising badly, and he lost a 



