THE BEST FLIES. 205 



friend, the lost time could not be regained. The small fry 

 had taken possession, and our success was very indifferent. 

 We found it was no use wasting time ; the fish were there 

 but would not take at all : now and then we caught a grilse. 

 So we started, numbering only eighty-four salmon — one 

 queer gaffer says eighty-five ; but by all our note-books 

 we cannot make more than eighty-four. This is very pro- 

 voking, as there is not the slightest doubt that if we 

 had remained at the Goodbout we should have numbereii 

 at least 150 fish ; but really we could not stand the fl.ies. 

 'WTiat shall we do another year ? 



" And now about flies. You will remember that we had 

 a lot of O'Shaughnessy's make and a few of Martin Kelly's : 

 the best were my 0"wn. I have no hesitation in saying 

 that my own were out and out the best ; they are stronger, 

 do more work, and take better ; but the hooks are not worth 

 much. O'Shaughnessy's flies tore at once both in hackle 

 and tinsel, standing no work whatever. I\Iy best killing 

 flies have been red body with dark hackle, topknot tail, 

 mixed wing and gold tinsel, in fact the ' fiery brown.' 

 Second best, dark claret. The two best days' fishing con- 

 sumed almost all my bright flies ; now I have none, but I 

 think I know exactly what to tie for you and myself next 

 year. I lost some tackle, principally single gut casting lines, 

 by the fish taking do^vn the rapids. I tried the double and 

 treble, but do iioi approve. Ishall send for very strong single 

 gut next year, and use it altogether. I broke the top of 



