SOME EllfGLISH TEOUT STEEAMS 



willows. When I crossed the river to investigate, I found a strong 

 willow pole fastened to a tree, on the end of it a smaU bnt strong 

 Une to which was fastened a bunch of white feathers concealing 

 a hook. This was a savage Eoyal Coachman, and I believe 

 Feather Eiver was named from this custom, the taking auto- 

 matically of big rainbow trout Hbeing an ancient one. The fly tying 

 art was at one time in the hands of a few specialists, men of 

 great individuality and invention, generally true lovers of sport 

 in the open and nature. JS'ow, owing to the great demand for 

 flies, they are manufactured by wholesale, large establishments 

 turning them out, and cheaper ones imitating them, though as 

 yet, flies are not made by machinery. 



Every angler has his favourite fly. Many years ago I fished 

 the St. Lawrence Eiver for bass with Andrew Clerk, and his 

 favourite fly was the St. Patrick, which I think he invented. 

 I have always found it very alluring not only for eastern bass but 

 for western trout, and one of the most beautiful of aU flies. 



I once found a fly maker in the Feather Eiver country. He 

 fished all summer and made flies all winter while snowed in. I 

 shall never forget the pleasure of my anticipation as I came 

 down the road and read the sign on the little shop, as here I was 

 to stop, and the fly maker was to ' break me in ' to that particular 

 locality. It was the custom here when a large trout was taken 

 to lay it on a piece of paper and mark the outlines ; then the fly 

 maker would colour it, cut it out, and bearing the angler's name 

 and the certificate, nail it on to the wall. The waU of this Uttle 

 shop was well covered with mighty paper trout, a haU of pisca- 

 torial fame, where hangs, or did hang, a certain seven pounder 

 bearing my name, taken with a Eoyal Coachman in the month of 

 September. 



Some of the most beautiful salmon flies I have ever seen 

 were made by the son of the head-keeper at the Edinburgh 

 Salmon Club on the Tweed. They were too beautiful to use, 

 and I carried them around with me a long time. I remember 

 taking them out once in a while to give them away, or to display 



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