Salmon-fishing — Catching the Fish. 145 



stead of the elasticity of the entire rod. It is clear, 

 therefore, that that rod which shows a true curve 

 throughout its length must be the most efficient in this 

 important respect. 



Salmon and trout differ widely in their methods of 

 taking the artificial fly. The trout dashes at the fly, 

 seizes it, detects the fraud, and ejects it, all in an instant. 

 The time when its presence is manifest and the time 

 when it has the fly in its mouth, are substantially syn- 

 chronous. The salmon usually attacks with much more 

 deliberation. It rises above the fly, making the water 

 boil in the act, before touching it. After the fly has 

 been taken, though the flavor may not be all that has 

 been anticipated, still it thinks there is time enough to 

 pass on that after it has returned with the fly to its lair. 

 Neither in taking the fly, nor in ejecting it, does it ex- 

 hibit the prompt resolution of the trout, though after 

 that there is little lack of enterprise to complain of. 

 Since then the preliminary gymnastics of the salmon may 

 be so easily mistaken for the subsequent stage of its pro- 

 ceedings when it has actually seized the fly, and since a 

 little procrastination on the part of the angler does no 

 harm, error, if any, should be on the side of the latter. 

 If he strikes at the rise as he would with a trout, he can 

 say good-by to that fish, for he will see it no more; 

 while if he does absolutely nothing whatever, the salmon 

 will hook itself, because of its manner of taking the fly, 

 more than half the time. 



I have dwelt on this point at sufficient length, I trust, 



to impress its importance upon the beginner. The greater 



his skill and experience as a trout-fisherman, the more 



certain he is to err in this respect if left to his own de- 



10 



