THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 127 



of miles apart, but during the transit the water in the vessel should be 

 renewed every morning. In constructing the walls of salmon beds no 

 lime must be used. They must be " dry-built," and strongly, with a 

 proper admixture of large and small stones. 



I have now done with the natural history of salmon, and must show 

 how it is to be angled for. The only pleasant and surely successful way 

 of angling for salmon is with the artificial fly. The young fly -fisher for 

 salmon has four principal parts to learn to throw the fly and line, to 

 work the fly against the water, to hook a fish, and finally, to play him 

 within reach of landing-net or gaff. I advise the aspirant to salmon 

 proficiency to commence by fishing for salmon-trout and grilse. The 

 former he will find in abundance in the County Kerry rivers in spring ; 

 the latter plentifully in the rivers of Sutherland, Ross-shire, and Caith- 

 ness, and in the rivers of the north-west of Ireland in July, August, and 

 September. Why I advise thus, I'll tell. To capture those fish it 

 requires far lighter gear than to slay the adult salmon. A rod of 16, 

 nay, of 15 feet, will suffice, whilst a joust on fair terms with a mature 

 fish-foe cannot be carried on without a lance 18 or 20 feet in length. 

 The young hand can more easily wield the lighter weapon, and w r hen he 

 shall have mastered that, then let him handle the heavier one. Sea-trout 

 and grilse are fished for in the same way as salmon, but with smaller 

 flies and a lighter and shorter line, the throwing of which is to be done 

 as follows : The straight right shoulder cast, which is the most natural 

 one, and should be practised when fishing from the left bank of a river, 

 is done thus : the right hand holds the rod above the winch, the left 

 below it ; the right side is next to the river, and the right foot foremost. 

 You bring your rod and line boldly and freely in a fine, easy, wide, 

 semicircular sw r eep over your right shoulder, until your right arm is 

 extended fully and vertically over the right side of your head, and then 

 you send rod and line strongly forward, by communicating to the right 

 arm sharp action, just as if you were going to strike at something elevated 

 before you with the soft or little-finger side of your clenched hand. If 

 all this compound action bringing back the rod and line over the right 

 shoulder, and then sharply sending them forward be performed dash- 

 ingly and energetically, without nervousness, stint of sweep, and strength, 

 your fly will be driven to its destination, which should not be at first 

 efforts much more than twenty yards distant. If you can cast that space, 

 or say from one cricket wicket to another, well, you need not much fear 

 but you will be able to catch sea-trout and grilse, and ultimately succeed 

 in throwing ten yards farther, which I think far enough, all matters 

 considered, for the great majority of useful purposes. Believe me that 

 the best salmon-fisher is not he who throws the farthest line, but he who 

 throws it neatly a moderate distance, and when his fly is in the water 

 makes the best use of the pretty lure. I have seen long-limbed louts 

 hurl or roll their fly an immense distance, three or four yards further than 

 I could, and yet I would stake my last florin to a farthing that I would 

 kill three fish or more for their one. The straight casts, whether from 

 the left or right shoulder, are, generally speaking, the best. At any rate, 

 executed by a proficient, they are always the neatest, and should, by 



