HOOKS, TACKLE AND FISHING GEAR. 3 



same degree as in the extreme cases above referred to, inas- 

 much as such abodes of bhss in regard to salmon have un- 

 fortunately long ceased to exist either in the British Islands or 

 anywhere else within comfortable travelling range of Charing 

 Cross. Every year the rent of a salmon river goes up ; already 

 it is but little less than that of a grouse moor, and what it may 

 eventually come to, if we are not all ruined in the meantime, 

 doth not yet appear. 



Naturally, those who pay so dearly for their mile or half- 

 mile of salmon water make up their minds to get the utmost 

 possible out of it in the way of sport. The pools are assi- 

 duously fished whenever the water is in * possible ' condition- 

 Often they are fished over two or three times a day, and some- 

 times by two or three difierent rods ; and the consequence is 

 that, at any rate after having been in the fresh water for some 

 little time, and successfully resisted the first seductions thrown 

 in his way, the salmon becomes much more shy and wary, 

 and untemptable by fly or bait unless presented in the most 

 enticing fashion. 



To this end the refinement of every part of the fishing gear 

 is one of the principal, indeed, the chief means Like his 

 ' star-stoled ' cousin of the chalk streams, he scrutinises with a 

 practised glance the object which is glittering before his eyes ; 

 and, however attractive may be the lure, if the ' line of invita- 

 tion,' as some one calls it, with which it is presented be coarse 

 or clumsy, or of flattened and, therefore, non-transparent gut, it 

 is ten to one that he will ' decline with thanks.' In short, as 

 ' fine and far off"' might be taken, in the case of the trout fisher, 

 as the password to success, so ' neatness and strength ' should 

 be the shibboleth of the salmon fisher. 



I make no apology, therefore, for dwelling in some detail 

 upon each item of the fly-fisher's equipment, and more espe- 

 cially on that which constitutes the alpha and omega of the 

 whole matter, namely, the Hook. 



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