08 TROUT FISHING 



having the right fly on, and forgetting that if he 

 found his first set of flies did not take, there 

 might be some fault in his way of using them ; 

 that in truth the want of success depended, not 

 on the improper fly, but on his improper and un- 

 natural use of it, which if he had corrected, would 

 have saved him much trouble, and more early 

 brought him sport. I consider it a very great 

 mistake to have a fly book filled with a host of 

 flies ; a few proper ones are all the fisherman will 

 require; and having a paucity, and tying them 

 for himself, he will learn the best of all lessons 

 on rapid streams, namely, to rely on his own 

 exertions for tempting the trout, rather than upon 

 any peculiar and fanciful beauty in flies. A great 

 annoyance constantly will befall the fisherman 

 who uses bought flies on rapid streams, where he 

 will be sure to catch many and hook more trout, 

 which is the slipping of the gut from the hook, 

 and the speedy wearing out of the bodies and un- 

 twisting of the hackles; this I have very gene- 

 rally observed with flies purchased even of the 

 most celebrated makers. If you are going to fish 

 for chub or roach in the Thames with the fly, you 

 may as well buy your flies as not; but if you 

 are going into the North of Devonshire to fish 

 the rapid streams, take my advice and tie them 

 yourself. 



Well now, how should we tie the fly ? Many 

 receipts are given, many tie them in different 

 ways, and it matters very little how we proceed, 

 so that we make a fly of proper colour, size, and 



