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KIVER-TBOUTING. 



MY first advice to the beginner in river-fishing is to give 

 himself little trouble about the old-fashioned descriptions and 

 arrangement of flies, such as good old Izaak (unequalled as 

 a writer) has so elaborately, and, I must say, so unnecessarily 

 discussed. The theory of fly-fishing has been much simplified 

 since his day, and a few directions as to its practice are 

 all I think necessary to give. For the sake of illustration, I 

 will take the Almond and the Water of Leith near Coltbridge, 

 two streams well known to all Edinburgh anglers, and which 

 also bear a strong resemblance to many of the English rivers. 

 The trout in both these waters, especially the latter, were, 

 for I am sorry I cannot say are, shy, well fed, and lazy ; 

 and here, if anywhere, one would imagine that the whole 

 absurd catalogue of artificial flies would be needed to tempt 

 their dainty appetites. So far, however, from this being the 

 case, I have never used more than three or four different kinds 

 during the whole spring and summer, and was generally at 

 least as successful as any of my numerous competitors. These 

 flies were the same as those I have mentioned under loch- 

 fishing, only of course suiting the size of the hook to the nature 

 and quality of the stream, according as it is much whipped 

 over, &c. If the angler pleases, he may vary the mouse-body 

 to the water-rat, which will make it a little darker for a bright 

 day ; and a bunting's is the best blae-wing he can use. When 



