388 THE SALMON FLY. 



down at one bound from a five-inch hook to a "dress" measuring only 

 three quarters of an inch. 



As regards the height and colour of the water the one standard 

 principle applies everywhere : In high water you use a larger fly than in 

 low, but in the event of discolouration my tactics are these ; (1) flaked 

 water, silver bodies; (2) road washings (of any colour), Seal's fur bodies 

 well picked out ; (3) porter colour, blue hackle over black body ; or a 

 claret body, grey Heron hackle and cinnamon Turkey wings for choice. 

 (These remarks apply more especially to those rivers on which fancy flies 

 are in general use. Nevertheless, on the Spey, where a peculiar variety 

 of the strip winged fly is and has for long been pepular, the bright fly 

 system holds good on bright days, though perhaps not to any particular 

 extent in point of gaudiness. The claret (or fiery-brown) body and 

 cinnamon wings is, however, a typical pattern on the Spey for porter- 

 coloured water ; and until the summer season, when Cock's hackles take 

 the place of Herons, an almost universal system in the selection of flies 

 prevails for various conditions of weather and water. That is to say, the 

 " Bough Grouse " is invariably reserved for a dark, drizzly day ; the 

 " Brown Dog" for a bright day in dark water ; whilst the " Purple King " is 

 estimated as being the best general pattern on the river.) In any place, 

 I would impress upon the student the necessity for studying the effect of 

 long hackles. Responsive as they are to the slightest movement of the 

 rod, in the water long hackles are, under proper management, far more 

 telling in still pools and lagoon-like reaches than short ones more or less 

 stiff in fibre. The secret is never to encourage them by movement of the 

 rod to make grotesque and irregular gambols, be the water what it may. 

 Perhaps they are less valuable in " maiden " streams than in other 

 Catches, yet may be the only sort the fish will notice. Many a time 

 have I seen men dwell beside a favourite stream and from want of know- 

 ledge put fish down with the short hackled flies to such an extent that 

 nothing but long hackles would stir them afterwards. 



This being so, we arrive at the reason of that success which attends 

 the man who comes with a large fly and picks up sulky Salmon to the 

 astonishment of those who have gone before him fishing small. It may 

 be assumed that his whole system differs from that of his innocent 



