THE PRAXIS OF SALMON ANGLING. 
7 
There is no dry fly fishing in sal- 
mon angling. 
Neither weigh, nor measure, nor 
dispose of your fish while the battle is 
waging. 
There is no fishing up the stream in 
fly angling for salmon. 
Delude not yourself with the 
thought that the killing fly of to-day 
will avail to-morrow! 
If you cast for exercise, or on idle 
bent, keep away from the pool. 
Suggestion for Fable No. 1: 
Rising, hooking and playing for 
hours, and then without net or gaff 
landing a 30 pound salmon on a 6 
ounce fly rod and trout cast! 
My chief pleasures are: 
To see the salmon surge for the fly 
and to feel the thrill that accompanies 
the first rush. 
To see the fly drop from the sal- 
mon’s mouth as the gaffsman lifts the 
fish from the water. 
To detach the fly, first noting how 
it held the fish. No guide of mine 
performs this office! 
Use only one fly on your leader. 
Suggestions for Fable No. 2: 
Special patterns of flies for certain 
months, 
Exclusive patterns of flies for given 
rivers. 
Success in salmon angling hang's on 
every whim, humor or vagary that 
imagination can attribute to the sal- 
mon, plus the x quantities of water 
and weather. 
Verity it hath, and obtains in sal- 
mon angling, that the tyro’s first at- 
tempt often putteth the expert to 
shame and causeth much chagrin till 
time brings humiliation to the boast- 
ful novice. 
Where salmon usually lie is called 
the pool or cast. 
At the first visit to a river an old 
inhabitant, or better still an old poach- 
MYERS. 
269 
er, is more valuable than all your ex- 
perience acquired on’ other rivers. 
Luck may and does accomplish won- 
drous feats and plays all manner of 
pranks, but after all, the angler who 
knows the river best and throws the 
longest line well, will raise the most 
fish; and knowledge of the river and 
of the pool is beyond and above even 
skill and tackle! 
There are 3 ultimates in salmon 
angling: 
Knowledge of the river in general 
and an understanding of the mood, 
humor and condition of the pool in 
particular; skill in angling that ac- 
companies the temperament of an ang- 
ler according to Izaak Walton; pos- 
session of adequate angling tackle. 
Yet all these oft resolve into naught 
in the presence of the novice who pos- 
sesses the killing fly. 
Grey says: 
“Then cometh the hour when the 
angler, wearied, hopeless, looks at the 
unsuccessful fly, wonders and ponders 
whether the fly was too big or too lit- 
tle; whether the color was right or 
wrong; whether some other fly would 
not do the turn; whether the cast was 
too light or too dark; and then won- 
ders whether there are any salmon 
in the pool; nay, in the river!” 
It is a most singular error that the 
farther stretch of the pool, hardest to 
cover with the cast, is taken to be the 
best water, while the salmon may be 
lying within a few yards. 
Rise of water only will solve the 
problem when the salmon refuse to 
take the fly in falling or steady low 
water. 
These be the characteristics of sal- 
mon pools: . 
Early, mid-season or late fishing. 
High. normal, rising or low water. 
Fish boiling (rising without show- 
ing themselves) at the foot of the pool 
