SALMON FLIES. l6l 



and colours, from sombre to brilliant, is the main 

 object. 



Salmon are extremely effeminate in the love of 

 finery and tinsel, especially in the case of habitually 

 discoloured waters. There are rivers upon which flies 

 of a more sombre hue than the general run are used ; 

 but the bright and brilliant combination is found 

 irresistible, more or less, wherever salmon are to be 

 found, when they are in a mood for rising and gam- 

 bolling. The great thing to keep in the mind's eye 

 when choosing or constructing a salmon fly, is the 

 shine through the feathers, wool, mohair, etc., when 

 held above the head, and thus viewed from beneath. 



Some dressings are almost of one universal dull 

 shade, or no shade at all, when held in the posture 

 seen by the fish ; others will have the colour rightly 

 seen shining through in a few patches ; but the correct 

 thing is to get the whole of the legs, tail, and body 

 to shine brilliantly through, as well as when looked 

 down upon, and the fault will be none of the fly's if 

 it be refused by the fish. The materials used for 

 salmon flies are especially picked with a view to their 

 effect when seen from below ; as for instance, the 

 hard-to-be-procured pig's wool, which for transparency 

 of shade stands well nigh unequalled ; also mohair, 

 which, though of finer texture, possesses the same 

 characteristics. These, when well placed upon the 

 hook shank, shine most effectively when wet, and 

 viewed from below. Another feature in the arrange- 

 ment of the salmon fly, the enormously large, and 

 in many cases heavy hook, has to be floated as long 



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