THE SALMON 53 



support. And it is on this ground that an angler, 

 having what the old Scottish divines called " the root 

 of the matter " in him, will, on all occasions, be remark- 

 ably particular and sensitive to all the movements and 

 appliances connected with his cherished amusement. 

 There must be nothing low and grovelling, nothing 

 which may seem to involve an idea that he is pursuing 

 his fascinating calling under the influence of any 

 motive but the pure love of the sport. Better lose a 

 thousand fish a day, than adopt or sanction any practices 

 which may have the most distant appearance of running 

 counter to the high principles of his profession. 



The size and colour of the flies to be employed in 

 salmon - fishing must always vary according to the 

 nature of the waters, the state of the wind, the season, 

 and the depth and brilliancy of the stream. There 

 are scarcely any rules of an absolute or universal 

 character to be laid down. They are all subjected to 

 modifications and exceptions. It is the knowledge 

 when general rules are to be followed, and when they 

 are to be departed from, that constitutes such an 

 essential part of an angler's skill, and stamps him as a 

 master of his art. Experience must be our sole guide 

 in this important matter. 



Some gentlemen of an extensive and admitted pisca- 

 tory knowledge uniformly fish with dull-coloured flies ; 

 others, again, whose claims to respect are equally 

 high, employ extremely gaudy ones. As far as oui 

 observation and practice go, we submit the follow- 

 ing list as the most likely to prove successful, when 

 the waters are in good order; for this is an essential 

 matter. 



No. 1. lAmerich. — A red cock hackle, ribbed with 

 gold twist, with drake wings of a tolerable length, and 

 standing well out from each other. 



No. 2. — Body, orange mohair ribbed with gold 

 twist; legs, a black hackle, and mottled grey feathers 

 of the mallard's wing. 



iV^o. 3.— A red cock hackle, ribbed with gold twist, 

 and wings of the woodcock, set considerably apart, 



