240 MY SPORTING HOLIDAYS 



that there is no reason in a salmon's ways ; and here, 

 perchance, we are nearest to the real solution of the 

 problem, if any solution there be. And the thought 

 is attractive, for it means that luck may come at any 

 moment, despite all apparently hostile conditions to 

 success, and that the best fly to catch a salmon with 

 is the fly that is oftenest and longest in the water. 



It is possible that we credit the salmon with too 

 much intelligence, and want to have a why and where- 

 fore for actions that are merely impulsive on the part 

 of the fish. 



One day I hooked a good fish in the Orkla, and lost 

 him after fifteen minutes' play. He was dead beat 

 and ready for the gaff, when sickening sensation 

 the cast broke and the rod straightened. 



A week later, in the same pool and on a similar fly, 

 I hooked, and this time landed, the same fish. There 

 was my first fly in his mouth. 



Clearly, that particular salmon was not intelligent ; 

 otherwise he would have carefully avoided the strange 

 insect that had caused him so much inconvenience 

 a few days before. And if so unintelligent, can he, 

 or does he, really discriminate between slightly varying 

 colours of hackle, body or wing, or even, within 

 reason, between slightly different sizes of fly. 



Arguing of the class from the individual, and 

 judging from the kind of instances mentioned above 

 of which plenty more could be given we may 

 believe of salmon generally that the fish which rise 

 to a fly and doubtless there are a certain number 

 of fish that never rise to the fly at all do so from 

 some wayward and erratic impulse which we cannot 

 accurately analyze, and that these same fish are not 

 too particular about the kind of fly, provided and 



