THE BRORA AND THE HELMSDALE 277 



no doubt the renters have a pretty good thing, and are wise 

 enough to keep the knowledge of their sport to themselves. 



Patterns from Snowie. 



No. i. Tag, silver twist, and gold-coloured floss ; tail, one 

 topping ; body, gold-coloured floss, two turns, medium brown 

 mohair ; silver tinsel ; longish fibred black hackle (only on 

 shoulder) ; wing, a strip of peacock stained yellow, gold 

 pheasant tail, sprigs of tippet, strips of teal on either side, a 

 topping over all. 



No. 2. Tag, silver tinsel and orange floss ; tail, a topping ; 

 butt, black ostrich; body, half orange floss and half black 

 mohair ; hackle, gallina only at shoulder ; under wing, a bit 

 of tippet (longish), orange-yellow and claret strips of swan, 

 gold pheasant tail, mallard, pintail, a topping over all, blue 

 macaw ribs ; short jungle cock on either cheek ; black head. 



No. 3. John Scott. This is a very tasty-looking fly, being 

 decorated with what is called in Ireland a mane, which is made 

 by tying in on the back small locks of mohair of different 

 colours ; tag, silver tinsel and gold-coloured floss ; tail, a 

 topping ; butt, blue ostrich herl ; body, half gold-coloured 

 floss and half medium blue. The mane is composed of locks of 

 yellow-orange, purple claret and medium blue mohair ; silver 

 tinsel ; hackle, medium blue, longish in the fibre, and only on 

 shoulder ; wing, fibres of tippet, strips of black partridge and 

 bustard on either side, a topping over all ; the mane very much 

 supplies the wing ; kingfisher on either cheek ; black head. 



The Butcher and Childers are also capital flies on the Brora, 

 and the Popham is also said to kill well at times. Flies from 

 6 or 7 to 9 or 10.* 



THE HELMSDALE 



Is a small river, rather dependent on rain;f and though it 

 often yields good sport in the spring, it is often for some period 

 too low for fishing as the summer conies on. 

 Patterns from Snowie. 



* My acquaintance with the Brora is limited to three consecutive days in 

 March, 1909, when my gillie prescribed the Green Highlander (Plate XVIII, 

 Fig. 2), as the only true medicine. Nor had I cause to complain, for I had 

 thirteen fish in the three days. ED. 



t The Helms dale is considerably larger than the Brora. Since Francis's 

 day its salmon angling has been developed in a degree without parallel in 

 any other river except the Wye. Not only have all the river and sea nets 

 been removed, but by raising the level of the lochs at the head of the river, a 

 steady flow of water is secured throughout the summer months, and angling 

 is carried on all the time. ED, 



