ON SALMON ANGLING. 121 



the shallows ascend to the surface, the water being 

 purer there, and thus take the fly on the same prin- 

 ciple that trouts feed generally. But trouts will not 

 take the natural flies in the rising swell of a river. 

 When it has begun to fall they attack them greedily 

 even in the white muddy water.* 



In regard to the different kinds of salmon flies 

 applicable to the different rivers, he further states a 

 curious fact : " In no two rivers that I know of," 

 says he, " do they angle with flies which at all re- 

 semble each other in point of shape and character. 

 In the Spey, Findhorn, and Ness, rivers not above 

 thirty miles apart from each other, the style of their 

 hooks is nearly as opposite as possible. In the 

 Spey, common drake, or mallard wing, with yellow 

 or orange body, and black hackle from the breast 

 tuft of the heron, is one of their principal hooks ; 

 and another, a hook dressed altogether from the 

 heron namely, a blue or slate-coloured wing with 

 hackle to match. In the Findhorn, again, nothing 

 but Irish flies, or imitations of them, seem to suc- 

 ceed. And in the Ness, the flies used are of a much 

 more quiet and modest kind, somewhat resembling 



* This remark as to trouts not taking natural flies when the river is 

 rising, we can testify in favour of, having on many occasions put it to 

 the proof, both by throwing the flies into the water and watching 

 them, and by angling with them. {JEDK.J 



