SULKY SALMON. 271 



Beat at Llangattoc, and although the famous Bryn stream held fish 

 nothing seemed to excite them. Day in, day out passed and nothing 

 could be done. Walking up the river one evening, I found Mr. Clifford 

 seated in his bower-bush, as usual, watching the water with his rod in 

 readiness. As soon as I made my appearance the chaff that I was subjected 

 to by both gentlemen is utterly beyond description in these pages. But 

 next day I tried my scheme in their presence. I begged them to try the 

 reach down beforehand with what flies they liked, merely stipulating that 

 the " catches " were not to be overthrashed. After the stream had been 

 fished from end to end three times, and fished well, too, I, choosing the 

 part that held most fish, made two casts, no more, with an " exaggeration." 

 A swirl in the water told me what to expect. In due course I put on 

 a similar fly to that which Mr. Clifford had been using in vain for 

 days and with it caught two Salmon, one of which had another fish in its 

 mouth. 



Of other friends' successes I desire to notice a triumph Mr. Basil Field 

 achieved on the Tay. The water had been well tried with large local 

 flies of the most gaudy description. On Mr. Field making his appearance 

 he was consulted as to further proceedings. Hearing that a fish had 

 risen he determined to try quite a foreign fly and selected for his 

 modification a " Glow-worm." It was remarked that " he might as well 

 throw his rod in." But the fish took the Grub directly it reached 

 the catch. 



There is really no matter for surprise in this system of rousing sulky 

 fish. The very fact of their " settling down " has puzzled many a thousand 

 Fishermen. The reason most probably is due to the combined lowness 

 and staleness of the water, which condition acts upon the fish much in 

 the same way as the smoky and vitiated atmosphere of a manufacturing 

 town acts upon the hearty constitution of a countryman. His appetite 

 becomes jaded, and he requires the stimulus of some dainty dish to tempt 

 him. It is precisely the same with a Salmon. 



There is generally an exception to every rule, but in Salmon fishing 

 there are more exceptions than our grandfathers would have deemed 

 credible. I have known several instances of fish taking the exaggeration 

 when the dressing is not too much overdone. Take an example. 



