64 MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS 



artificial salmon flies form an accidental resemblance, 

 in the structure as well as in their jerking motions, 

 caused by their attachment to the line in the current 

 of water. 



Having never then seen a shrimp, dead or alive, I 

 could not blame myself in not having detected it as 

 decidedly the true prototype which I had so long 

 been in imaginary search of, being always convinced 

 that it must be a marine production, and very common 

 on feeding shoals in the sea Had I ever seen a shrimp, 

 I think I might have caught up the idea at once ; 

 and now what a variety of proofs come in on the 

 mind in support of the opinion, which is no longer 

 an opinion with me but a decided fact, as all past 

 observation, from experience and analogy, rushes in, 

 confirmatory of the truth of the parson's observation. 

 One point which goes far in proof of this opinion, is 

 this, that every good fisher must have observed that 

 his fish bites surest at the fly when well sunk in the 

 water, say to mid-depth or so ; and it is also a sure sign 

 of a fisher knowing his business from experience when 

 we see him endeavouring to sink his fly well, in place 

 of making a novice-like effort to keep it on the sur- 

 face. In fact, I think I may be correct in advising 

 to even add a little weight occasionally in a deep 

 and strong current, say a grain or two of shot, a gut 



