206 SALMON AND TROUT. 



large proportion of the fish he hooked, he would condemn the 

 Limerick hook and try another description of bend, say a sproat; 

 with this he might fish all the succeeding week when salmon 

 were taking well, and lose hardly a fish. He would then 

 adopt the sproat and say there was no hook like it, and he 

 would fish with it until he again came across fish that were 

 rising badly, when the sproat in its turn would be condemned 

 and perhaps the Limerick again adopted. He would thus go on 

 changing from year to year, never being able to give a decisive 

 opinion as to which is best to use ; and that is precisely my 

 case. If, however, I have a preference for one shape over 

 another, I would take the Limerick, as I think a fly looks 

 better when dressed in this shape than in any other. 



With regard to patterns of flies, my favourite is the Jock 

 Scott, and if I were told that I was only allowed to fish with 

 one pattern that is the one I should choose ; but in any case, 

 with half a dozen flies in addition of different sizes and colours, 

 I should be quite content to go on a fishing expedition and 

 would engage to hold my own. Many salmon fishers, however, 

 prefer a larger selection, and the following list of some of the 

 most popular standard patterns may perhaps assist them in 

 making their choice. 



The selection has been made to embrace flies which are all 

 more or less general suitable, that is, to the generality of 

 rivers rather than those having a comparatively restricted 

 range, however popular and successful they may be in particular 

 localities. 



The ' descriptions ' of and remarks about all but a few of 

 the last flies are by Mr. George M. Kelson, who has made 

 the question of salmon flies and their dressing a special study. 



