CHAP, VI.J FLY-FISHING. 61 
hooked, a salmon is only to be held by a happy mixture of the 
suaviter in modo and fortiter in re, which keeps the line at a 
gentle but firm stretch, from which he cannot escape by dint 
of straightforward pulling—to which the skilful fisher must 
gradually yield, to prevent too much strain on his slight lin@. 
Nor, on the other hand, ought the fish to be allowed, by the 
angler slackening the line, to get a sudden jerk at it, by means 
of a fresh rush, as few lines or hooks can stand this. In fishing 
for sea-trout, I always kill the largest fish, and the greatest 
number, by using small flies, though certainly too small hooks 
are apt to lead to disappointment, by not taking sufficient hold of 
this tender-skinned fish. As all rivers require different flies for 
sea-trout, no general rule can be given, but I never find myself 
unable to catch trout, if there are any in the water, and I use 
either a small palmer, red, black, or white, and if these do not 
succeed, I try a small fly with black or blue body, a turn or two 
of silver twist, no hackle round the body, but a little black 
hackle immediately under the wings, which latter consist of 
lark’s or hen blackbird’s feather, or that of some other bird of a 
similar pale grey colour. I have often been amused by being 
told gravely by some fishing-tackle maker in a country-town, 
when showing him one of these simple flies. ‘‘ Why, sir, that 
fly may do now and then, but it is not fit for this river, and Iam 
afraid, sir, you will catch nothing with it.” His own stock of 
flies, which he wants to sell, being all of one kind probably, and 
which he has managed to convince himself and others are the 
only sort the fish in the neighbouring stream will rise at. I 
remember one day on the Findhorn when the fish would not 
rise at a fly, although they were leaping in all directions. I put 
on a small white fly and filled my basket, to the astonishment of 
two or three habituds of the river, who could catch nothing. 
Having watched me some time, and not being able to make out 
why I had such good sport, they begged to look at my fly. They 
scarcely believed their own eyes when I showed them my little 
white moth, which the sea-trout were rising at so greedily; it 
being so unlike the flies which from habit and prejudice they had 
been always accustomed to use. 
I was much interested one day in May, in watching the thou- 
sands of small eels which were making their way up the river. 
