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To a very simple circumstance, that must have been noticed 

 thousands of times, we owe the discovery of our system generally of 

 deciding the sort of fly lo use when fishing is practicable. 



As all know, the bright sun brings out the brightest butterfly, 

 and from this constant act of Nature the system has partly been 

 evolved. 



As a matter of course, observation is the basis of all scientific 

 knowledge. From what other agency could inspiration be drawn ? 

 Observation seems to be the keynote of every solution in every field 

 of enquiry ; and in fishing, to disregard such things as, for instance, 

 the effect of light and shade, leads to reverses the most unexpected. 

 Hardly any of us form the slightest idea of Uie extent to which the 

 faculty of observation can be utilised. Take, as an example, a brief 

 illustration of this. 



The writer was oul mi a river in Aberdeenshire, and had hardly 

 put up his rod when a gillie, from the fishery below, handed in a letter 

 to the following effect : 



" We have a match on to-day — you to coach a friend of mine. 

 Will \(iu come ?" 



He was referred to one of the places where he received the 

 rudinients of his early education! Ife knew the pools of old, and the 

 various methods of attack were all equally familiar. However, it 

 soon became clear that his companion felt himself quite unable to 

 grapple with the problem before him, since he had not heard of 

 mounting a bright fly when the sun shines, or of one, after the living 

 insect itself, which, from time to time, is deemed expedient. But 

 later in the day, when it came to the corresponding principle of using 

 a dull, sombre pattern, because the sky had become cloudy, he 



