282 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



yellow floss, the rest dark chocolate floss ; hackle, a brown 

 claret, black heron on shoulder (shortish) ; wing, a tippet 

 (long), the tip of a black partridge feather, a bit of dark brown 

 mallard, and the tip of a green parrot feather, over this sprigs 

 of brown turkey, gold pheasant tail, two or three copper- 

 coloured peacock herls, red and blue macaw, kingfisher on 

 either cheek ; mohair collar not too heavy, the colour of which 

 is not orange nor pink, but a sort of madder. Hook, a trifle 

 shorter than the last. 



Sir Alexander gave some directions for varying the flies, 

 and I cannot do better than append his letter. 



"Altyre, Forres, N.B., July 30, 1865. 



" My dear Sir, I have selected eight of the flies which I 

 have found most killing on the Findhorn, during twenty 

 years' work. These may be successfully varied by changing 

 the colour of the bodies and heads ; red for orange, black for 

 yellow heads, and bodies made black for claret or green, and 

 vice versa. These eight patterns I generally adhere to through- 

 out the year, by dressing them one, two, and three sizes smaller. 

 Blue bodies may be substituted in the case of the black and 

 two clarets, with advantage to the angler and detriment to 

 the fish. The wings of two are far too long, but this you need 

 not mind. All should have one or two toppings (shortish) 

 for tails, and if the wing is dressed thinner it is an immense 

 improvement, where economy is no object, to put two long 

 toppings on the wing. 



"$Yours truly, 



" A. P. GORDON GUMMING." 



THE TAY 



The Tay is a splendid river. The water is heavy, but some of 

 the pools and streams are magnificent. The fishing on the lower 

 part of the river is mostly from a boat, and the style is called 

 ' ' harling. ' ' Three rods are used, and the boat is rowed to and fro 

 over the casts. Two of the rods usually have a couple of flies 

 on each, and the third a phantom minnow, and it is not an un- 

 common thing for two of the rods to have a fish on at the same 

 moment, and I have even heard an instance or two of all three of 

 them being at work simultaneously. A few of the casts, however, 

 can be fished from the shore, and where this is the case, the 

 sport is of a very superior kind ; for, owing to the size of the 



