FISHING. 



515 



green tag, and a topping for tail. It is a 

 most deadly fly on some rivers, and may be 

 used in the larger sizes in quite clear water, 

 if tied sparely. 



Nos. 6, 7 and 8 on my list are plain flies 

 with mallard wings, bodies and hackles as 

 indicated, and dyed swan or toppings for 

 tails. It may be said that a golden pheasant 

 topping always improves a fly, whether used 

 as a tail or as a finish to the wing. 



THE LEADER. 



Nothing but the best single gut leaders 

 should be used on Canadian rivers, excepting, 

 perhaps, on .some of the heavy rivers of Lab- 



by a few of the leading dealers. The price 

 may vary from $3 to $4 a leader, but the 

 breaking strain will never be less than six 

 pounds, dry, and often higher, while inferior 

 gut will part when tested at a couple of 

 pounds. I once found myself on a river with 

 a lot of new leaders that broke at one and a 

 half pounds dry, and much against my will 

 was forced to trust to them, having no 

 others. I succeeded in killing a number of 

 salmon and grilse, but lost at least half a 

 dozen heavy fish because of my poor tackle. 

 There are times when you must hang on 

 to your fish or lose it, and it is at just such 

 critical moments that you need 

 tackle and plenty of nerve. 



THE GAFF. 



The veteran fisherman general- 

 ly sticks to a tie-on gaff, with an 

 almost straight point made of soft 

 steel, depending for a handle upon 

 some small spruce cut and 

 trimmed by the river side. None 

 of the highly ingenious, and usual- 

 ly clumsy and inefficient, forms de- 

 pending upon screw joints, tele- 

 scopic segments, or folding parts, 

 are worth considering, though it 

 is but fair to say this opinion is 

 not held by British fishermen, who 

 seem attached to a telescopic gaff 

 (' no self-respecting Restigouche or 

 Cascapedia angler would permit 

 in his camp. The gaff is almost 

 the only part of a salmon fisher- 

 man's outfit that is cheap. A good 

 one costs but one dollar and 

 twenty-five cents. The tackle 

 makers call this a "plain gaff with 

 tang," and the correct, size for 

 salmon is seven inches by three 

 inches. 



WADERS. 



For trout or bass fishing waders 



coming up to the knee or thigh 



are generally good enough, but in 



salmon fishing unless they are of 



full length, reaching to the waist, 



or higher, they are of little use. 



In addition to suspenders, a belt 



should always be worn over the 



wading trousers, otherwise, in 



rador, and the north shore of the St. Law- case of a slip, they may fill with water and 



rence. In them when the waters are clear- be a source of danger instead of safety, which 



ing after a flood, but are yet roilly, the upper they are if the belt be sufficiently tight. 



A FRESH RUN SALMON 



three feet of the leader may, with advantage, 

 be of treble gut twisted. The next three feet 

 of double gut, and the remainder of the 

 heaviest single gut. 



For clear water fishing the recognized 

 length of a leader is nine feet, and the rule 

 is to shorten the leader, sometimes to six 

 feet, when the water is more or less dis- 

 colored. Good gut is expensive, and diffi- 

 cult to 'procure, the entire stock is absorbed 



American anglers usually prefer waders 

 and boots in one, whereas, European fisher- 

 men have what they call "wading brogues," 

 which are coarse, strong leather shoes, nail 

 studded to be worn over the wading trousers. 

 A pair of woolen socks being used, as well, 

 to preserve the waders from chafing. 



Each has its advantages. The bootless 

 waders last the longest, while the other kind 

 are far more convenient. 



