SALMON- ANGLING. 329 



after the favoured fly is found out, it is all plain sailing enough. 

 If he is baffled in discovering it, the best fisher is pretty much 

 on a par with the worst. The third and most common mood 

 of fish will always afford fullest scope for the thorough salmon- 

 fisher to prove his skill. 



Every successful fly-angler for large fish knows what I have 

 stated ; but as a help to the inexperienced, I will copy from 

 my memorandum-book two days' practice, as fair examples of 

 the first and second mentioned moods of fish. As the surest 

 test, I have chosen both fishing-days from thin, clear, summer 

 water, when I had two flies on my cast. 



First mood, when fish will rise at almost anything. Began 

 to fish at six in the evening, leaving off at nine. A brightish 

 body, though not gaudy, and light wing for trail, with a dark 

 fly for bob. Killed five fish three at the trail, and two at 

 bob. All fastened at the first rise except the last fish. I 

 touched it slightly the first time, gave it a long rest, when, in 

 spite of being pricked, it came up again and fixed firmly. 



The fastidious fishing-day was from five to half-past eight 

 in the morning. In second pool rose a fish at both bob and 

 trail several times. At last, fairly put him down. Gave the 

 usual rest, and exchanged the trail fly for another deeper in 

 colour and longer in shape : hooked and killed him with the 

 change the second cast. Landed three more fish with this 

 trail fly : all hooked at the first rise, and not a fin would stir 

 at the bob. 



It must be owned that the caprice of salmon does now and 

 then set at nought all rules and calculations. When my son 

 returned from Cambridge for a few days' fishing at Easter, I 

 gave him the first of the water, and tied for him some killing- 

 flies. He rose a large fish twice in one of the lowest pools. 

 In the centre of our fishing stretch another salmon belled up. 

 As both showed signs of laziness, we left them till evening, 

 when they were pretty certain to be more lively. Near the 

 top of the water he landed a small fish of seven pounds. As 



