74 SALMON -ANGLING. 



water is so clear. When a large river is also rapid, as in 

 the higher parts of the Taj, the fly may be proportionally 

 bright. The size of the stream is an excellent criterion 

 for that of the hook ; and you may see every village urchin 

 fishing for the spring trout in Tweed with a hook double 

 the size of that he uses in Gala, or any of the other 

 tributaries, for the very same purpose : the favourite fly 

 in both cases being a woodcock- wing, hare's-ear body, tied 

 with blue thread. 



The regular fishermen, as they call themselves, of any 

 particular river, will hold up the flies they are accustomed 

 to use, and affirm that they will kill in any water. These 

 men have, of course, a great advantage over occasional 

 visitors, both from their knowledge of the flies and places 

 where the fish lie ; gentlemen are therefore apt to overrate 

 their pretensions, and pay compliments which they suck 

 down as eagerly as (by their own account) the salmon do 

 their flies. But take both to a strange river and leave 

 them to their unaided resources, and, if equal in other 

 respects, the advantage ought to be on the side of the 

 amateur ; because, from the variety of rivers in his fishing 

 tours, he gains twice the insight into the habits of fish ; 

 although he may not appear to the same advantage with a 

 far inferior fisher, when the latter is upon his own regular 

 beat. Nevertheless, I must say that most gentlemen are 

 so careless of everything but throwing the line, that the 

 advantage gained by their more extensive means of observa- 

 tion is more than counterbalanced by the reflection of the 

 lower orders, who put all their head-piece into their practice. 



