ODDS AND ENDS 



But these are all ridiculously phenomenal, though suffi- 

 ciently satisfactory and exciting in the doing, and in retro- 

 spect. For instance, take Munden and the Colne ; three 

 consecutive days in June, in the same year as the above bag, 

 produced three, eight, and one fish respectively. 



The chief experience acquired in the course of dry-fly 

 fishing for trout is, I think, to reduce the varieties of flies one 

 uses to four or five. These are (winged and ** spent ") the 

 olive, the iron-blue, the wickham, and the red quill, and in 

 addition the " Tup." These will serve — the rest are but 

 leather or prunella. 



I fully believe that a similar policy, though not quite so 

 drastic, might well be followed in regard to salmon flies. But 

 my opportunities of salmon fishing are limited ; and I don't 

 feel disposed to muddle away valuable time in experimenting. 



The number of recognised salmon flies (besides numerous 

 local varieties) is, I believe, over three hundred, the changes 

 being rung on black, yellow, red and blue, silver and gold. 



While there may be, as indeed there must be, a considerable 

 difference in the look, possibly in the attractiveness, for in- 

 stance, of a Dusty Miller and a Thunder and Lightning, of 

 a Black Doctor and a Blue Doctor, according to the light, or 

 the height or colour of the water, it can hardly be seriously 

 intended that a salmon can distinguish the nuances that to the 

 fly-tier and the fly-buyer so often differentiate one fly from 

 another. This fly, for instance, is called the " Delfur," that the 

 " Gordon" ; this the " Wilkinson," that the " Silver Doctor." 

 But to the salmon in the swift stream the distinguishable 



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