How to Fish for Salmon. 19 



good fish. My friend, who fished the pools before 

 me with what we considered a most killing fly, did 

 not raise a fish. Another day, in a very deep pool in 

 the river, with the wind blowing half a gale and sky 

 very cloudy, two fine fish were killed with this same 

 fly, and I have used this pattern with success, under 

 the same circumstances, for the last sixteen years. 



One bright sunny day in August, the water very 

 low and clear, I killed two fish with a small sun 

 fly, body purple mohair, wings of golden pheasant 

 hackle. I also killed two nice fish, and rose and lost 

 another in a deep pool, with a small Silver Doctor, 

 with bright blue body, from the hook breaking. 



In these instances the flies were as dark and as 

 bright as they well could be, but there are plenty 

 of others, dark as well as bright, that will do quite as 

 well; only follow the rule as to colour and weather, 

 and you are pretty certain of sport. 



Wheatley truly says : " In salmon fly fishing, 

 where are the monsters in nature wherewith we 

 tempt the fish ? Our salmon flies are, with one or 

 two exceptions, nothing but the children of Fancy, 

 arbitrary arrangements of feathers, silks, worsted, 

 furs, mohairs, and numerous incongruous et cetera. 



' The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare, 

 But wonder how the devil they got there.' 



Whence comes it, then, that the favourite fly of 

 one river is scouted at another ? Experientia docet, 



