484 AMERICAN FISHES. 



and instead of the rod being thrown forward down the stream, it is 

 pointed across as much as possible. 



I much fear that this description will be difficult to understand. I 

 have, however, endeavored to make it as plain as possible, and ac- 

 companied it with three such beautiful drawings of the three different 

 steps, that unless the engraver touches them up considerably they will 

 be almost as difficult to understand. 



In fishing a strange water, always endeavor to get the color of flies 

 preferred there, and select accordingly; but in this country, where 

 you may happen on scores of rivers where there are no fishermen, and 

 perhaps no authentic account of what flies are good, your best plan is 

 to mount a gnat fly as dropper and a gaudy fly as stretcher ; as, for 

 instance, the first six salmon flies, which are neither the one nor the 

 other, may be used as droppers; 9, 10, and 12 as stretchers. If none 

 of these suit, try a plain turkey's wing, with an iron-blue body and 

 black legs, or No. 16 ; in fact, almost any fly I have named. I will 

 undertake that more than two-thirds will rise fish in any river in the 

 world. 



A combination of English jay is one of the most effective flies in 

 the world, as it can be put into as gay a fly as you please, and also 

 into as plain a one as you like. The same observations hold good for 

 Salmon as for Trout, regarding appearance of the weather and water. 

 Do not fancy too large flies ; for certain am I the Salmon don't except 

 when the river is in flood. I do not know the numbers of Conroy's 

 hooks after No. 1, but two sizes larger than that what Bartlett calls 

 his 3s. are large enough. Kelly puts on his B.B.B., large size Salmon 

 hooks, about equal to Bartlett' s 4s. Remember that in spring fish- 

 ing this rule won't hold good, for you then have to fish with a thing 

 almost as big as a mouse, if the waters are any ways high. I have 

 given one or two patterns of these gaudy spring flies amongst the 

 Salmon flies, and amongst the Pike-flies may be found three with blue 

 bodies, which are used in the Ness, in spring, for Salmon. 



Salmon do not often lie in the middle of a very strong rapid, either 

 at the tail or in the very head of it ; they are very fond of an eddy ? 

 though it may be in the very midst of a boiling torrent. But I have 

 as often had sport at the tail, especially when it ran into a deep pool, 

 in which case 1 I generally had a rise on each side of the stream in the 

 back water. 



