THE SALMON. 9^ 



craft of venerie," and wonder at the resoiirces of the 

 wilderness, and on your return thank me not, if you can. 

 But that you may do it well, read the following prosy 

 instructions carefully, for if they be not entertaining 

 they be useful. 



The rod for salmon fishing should be from sixteen to 

 twenty feet long ; one of sixteen, or even fifteen, if well 

 made and elastic, will answer. It must be strong and 

 stiff, but not too heavy, and the further it will cast the 

 greater will be the success. Salmon are more wary than 

 trout ; if they see a horrible, ill-shapen being, like man, 

 lashing at them with a long whip, they lie close to the 

 bottom, and it is only by keeping well out of sight, and 

 never disturbing or approaching the pool, that they can 

 be tempted. "A short rod, though it may be capable of 

 casting the requisite distance, will not give sufficient 

 command nor enable the angler to lift the fly with 

 facility. 



The fly must be cast straight, light, and as far as pos- 

 sible ; it must be put exactly upon the right ripple, and 

 must fall like a snow-flake ; it should, if the water 

 is still, be allowed to sink a few inches and then drawn 

 up to and along the surface a foot or so, again allowed to 

 sink, and so on till it is raised for another cast. It is not 

 moved as rapidly, nor with precisely the same tremulous 

 motion as in trout fishing. Often a long time passes 

 before a fish, no matter how plenty they may be, will 

 rise ; and when he does come, it is as often to play with 

 and slap at the fly as to take it. Nothing is more pro- 

 vokingly exciting than to have a magnificent fish rush 

 again and again at your fly, leap over and around it, 



