84 SALMON -ANGLING. 



the fly. The nearer the bottom you angle, of course these 

 impediments are less in the way. They are most trouble- 

 some on a windy day. When foam is thick upon the 

 water, fish rise badly to fly. A succession of floods, or, 

 as we call them, " spates," will gorge the fish, and make 

 them shy, especially of taking bait. In landing a salmon 

 or any heavy fish in a river, if possible get below him. 

 You are thus favoured by the stream. Whereas, by 

 standing above, you hang the fish's weight against the 

 current, and are more apt to strain and break its hold. 



I shall here add an instance or two of the fastidiousness 

 of salmon at one time, and their voracity at another ; by 

 which it will be evident that there are days when a very 

 bungler may capture them, and others when all our skill 

 is well needed. In summer, when the Teith was rather 

 dwindled, a Highlander rose a grilse with a small sea- 

 trout fly. He, of course, gave him a rest, and tried him 

 with a larger, to no effect ; went back to the small one, 

 and again rose him. He then put on, in succession, a 

 worm, a par, and a minnow, without getting a tug ; and, 

 as a last resource, cut off the par's tail,* when the fish 

 came up greedily and fastened. He would never have 

 wasted so much time had he not known that, from the low 

 state of the river, there was little chance of another rise 



* The par tail is an excellent substitute for the minnow, and in some 

 moods of the water is to be preferred. It is easy to bait with, and 

 bears very rough usage on the hooks. The head and shoulders are cut 

 off in a slanting way, and you bait in the same manner as with the 

 minnow or par. 



