258 THE SALMON FLY. 



mind to make inspections, one has to travel far and wide and there wait 

 for an opportunity. At first, with the unaided eye, I saw little or nothing, 

 and not half as much as I wanted to until after years and years of 

 practice, and then only by the aid of powerful field glasses. At last I had 

 distinct ocular proof that Salmon feed on flies, moths, wasps, and cater- 

 pillars, as well as on their own species. But this is not all, for, after 

 baiting clear places for the purpose, I have seen them pick up prawns and 

 pass by worms indeed, it would appear unnatural for them to come 

 across worms except in discoloured water. 



There is no necessity to dilate on individual gifts, on incomparable 

 skill, or on the magic power of the human eye. WKat one man can see 

 and record with precision, even only after years of practice, is a feat not 

 hopelessly impossible to others. 



(The peculiarities of Salmon amongst fish suggest to me a likeness to 

 the pigeon, and this prompts me sometimes to call the Salmon " the 

 pigeon of the river." The bird's and the fish's homing propensity is per- 

 sistent and followed with a like miraculous accuracy. As regards the 

 Salmon, here is a case in point. The late Frank Buckland managed to 

 secure several fish from the west coast of Ireland, all of which he marked 

 and succeeded in transporting to the east coast, where they were set at 

 liberty. In the Autumn of the same year, if I remember rightly, many 

 of these fish were captured in the very same rivers from which they had 

 been taken in the early Spring.) 



I once ventured upon writing to the Press on the subject before us. 

 Laymen, cum multis aliis, had aired their views in sporting books and 

 angling newspapers. With the latter gentlemen I have little present 

 concern save to tell them of a fishing companion's remark when he and I 

 discussed certain (as I thought impracticable) speculations. 



" Oh, I know ! " said he, " somebody is going to bring out a fly 

 having scales, and fins, and gills, and fish's eyes stuck on ; this is paving 

 the way for a new bait that will do honour to the inhabitants of 

 Arcadia." 



My letter led to further discussion. One eminent authority in Trout 

 fishing stated that the ' ; Alexandra " fly is taken for a Minnow. Another 

 wverred that " Jock Scott " is to the Salmon a mere variegated wrasse ; 



