100 CATCHING THE WILY SEA-TROUT 



Now we will consider what lure should be mounted. 

 Undoubtedly, an artificial fly is the correct choice. 

 Years ago, for the purpose of research, I experimented 

 with metal minnows, but I am satisfied that a sea-trout 

 will not follow a minnow at night, and this opinion is 

 confirmed by many of my angling friends. Hence we 

 must decide upon a fly. 



Of all the arguments brought forward in connection 

 with fly fishing I am inclined to believe that the subject 

 of flies usable for sea-trout at night produces the greatest 

 variance of views. The colours of the dressings and the 

 sizes of the hooks cause endless contention, and each 

 advocate is positive that his style is the best. 



During the final weeks of every sea-trout season one 

 fishing inn situated in my neighbourhood is always 

 booked to capacity by visiting anglers, and to listen to 

 the debates which take place in the snuggery of the inn 

 is most entertaining. Some of the visitors never seem 

 to weary of giving lectures on the value of black flies, 

 while others amplify those claims by introducing the 

 theory of nocto-vision, but I cannot help noticing that 

 the patient hearers continue to persevere with their own 

 special patterns of flies. 



I must confess that, by listening to a tirade on the 

 lethal properties of a fly dressed in mourning, I have 

 been nearly convinced that to mount any other fly than 

 a black one would be futile. However, I have given 

 most dressings, including the much-vaunted black one, 

 genuine trials, and when the fish are in an obliging mood 

 I have never observed a marked discrimination in the 

 choice of the proffered wares. 



You would imagine, with numerous anglers, not 

 omitting the black-fly partisans, fishing the identical 

 water at the same time, that one of them would surpass 

 the others in the number of sea-trout to his credit, but 



