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CHAPTER XIV. 

 FISHING. 



Author not an Izaak Walton— Bosh about Fishing and Fisli— Flies— Kods— And Tackle- 

 Author's Ideas— Light Lines— Heavy Lines— Striking a Fish— Scores of Flies— Four 

 Kinds— Their Names— Author's Peculiarities— Skull-dragging— Westmeath—Gahvay 

 —The Shannon— A Fishing Trip to Killarney— How to Go — Good Sport— An 

 Adventure on Lord Landnothing's Water— Diplomacy— Day's Basket— Boys will be 

 Boys— Sport and Devilment— The Steep Places— The Runs— Fair Play— Fine Play- 

 Mountain Scenery— Grouse— Grandeur— iajid and Water— Tlhe Author a Poacher- 

 Criticism— Explanation-Escutcheon of a Sportsman— An Invitation to Mr. "Ro€e 

 Price"— and Others— Loch Leven— What Fishing Costs. 



I NEVER was mucli of a fisherman, though I took a turn at the "gentle 

 •art " whenever I could. I am, however, of opinion that, like many other 

 -things in the world, there is a lot of bosh talked and written upon 

 both fish and fishing. 



Fish are odd creatures, and very little is really known about them. 



Of course we all know one fly will kill one day, and another the day 

 -after, and, perhaps, no other pattern will be looked at on these particular 

 -days ; moreover, we know the nearer the artificial is in colour and 

 shape to the natural fiy " on the take," the better chance there is of its 

 killing. Again, we have all seen a good fisherman, with the most 

 ■approved rod, tackle, and flies, unable to rise a fish, while a boy with a 

 rod like a flail and flies tied in a wisp is filling his basket. 



I am no authority on this branch of sport, but my notion is that the 

 •colour is what attracts the fish, and not the fly itself or its tying, for 

 with its keen sight a fish must see the hook, and so cannot mistake the 

 artificial for the natural. Everyone knows how readily the line startles 

 a fish, and that the finer it is the better chance we have of inducing 

 him to take the fly. But, then, is this correct ? The line for salmon 

 is necessarily strong and coarse, and therefore can be seen by that fish, 

 who has just as quick an eye as the nimble trout. Who knows but 

 when fish are on the feed they are so greedy they will go at anything 

 that appears to suit their taste, regardless of the caution that under 

 other circumstances would prevent their doing so ? 



What is called "striking" I also have my doubts about, and my 

 reasoning is this : If a fish wants to take a fly he will naturally shut 

 his mouth on it, but directly he finds what he has caught he will try 

 to spit it out ; while doing either one or other he will generally hook 

 himself, provided the fisherman has his line straight. If, therefore, a 

 man "strikes" when he sees the rise I think he is just as likely to jerk 

 the fly away from the fish as to hook him. 



" Missing " fish is nearly always the fault of the man through having 



