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diff --git a/35752.txt b/35752.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b9da6a1 --- /dev/null +++ b/35752.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6272 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Blacker's Art of Fly Making, &c., by William Blacker + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Blacker's Art of Fly Making, &c. + Comprising Angling, & Dyeing of Colours, with Engravings + of Salmon & Trout Flies + +Author: William Blacker + +Release Date: April 2, 2011 [EBook #35752] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACKER'S ART OF FLY MAKING, &C. *** + + + + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL. + + LONDON: + PRINTED BY GEO. NICHOLS, EARL'S COURT, + LEICESTER SQUARE. + +[Illustration: FLY FISHING] + + + + +PATRONISED BY H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT. + +[Illustration] + +BLACKER'S, ART OF FLY MAKING, &c., + + COMPRISING ANGLING, + & DYEING OF COLOURS, + + WITH ENGRAVINGS + OF SALMON & TROUT FLIES + SHEWING THE PROCESS + OF THE GENTLE CRAFT + AS TAUGHT IN + THE PAGES. + + * * * * * + + WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF + FLIES FOR THE SEASON + OF THE YEAR + AS THEY COME OUT + ON THE WATER. + + REWRITTEN & REVISED + BY THE AUTHOR + BLACKER, HIMSELF, + FISHING TACKLE MAKER + OF 54, DEAN ST, SOHO, + LONDON. + + 1855. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + Page. + Preface v + The Art of Fly Making 1 + An Easy Method to make the Trout Fly 3 + An Easy Method of making a Plain Salmon Fly 8 + To make the Trout Fly, in the best and most approved method 13 + To make the Palmer, or Double-Hackle Fly 20 + How to make the Salmon Fly, as shown in the Beautiful Plate + of Engravings on Salmon Hooks 23 + Process of making the Gaudy Salmon Fly 30 + To make the Winged Larva 42 + A Catechism of Fly-Making 46 + The Trout Flies for the Season 55 + Flies for March 57 + Flies for April 60 + Flies for May 64 + Flies for June 69 + Flies for July 72 + Flies for August 76 + Fishing Rods and Fly Fishing 80 + Fly Fishing for Salmon 88 + An Account of the Salmon, and its Varieties 96 + The Salmon Fry 100 + A Description of the Fifteen Salmon Flies Engraved in the + Plates 104 + Spring Flies 117 + Salmon Rivers 120 + The River Tweed 121 + The River Shannon 123 + The Lakes of Clare 124 + The Lakes of Killarney 126 + Lough Curran, Waterville 133 + Connamara and Ballynahinch 138 + Ballyna 142 + Ballyshannon 145 + The Rivers Bush and Bann 149 + The River Bann 156 + Lakes of Westmeath 163 + The River Lee, at Cork 169 + Salmon Rivers in Scotland 170 + The River Tay 171 + The Dee and Don 176 + The River Spey 177 + The Findhorn 179 + Rivers and Lakes adjacent to Fort William, on the + Caledonian Canal 180 + Salmon Flies for Fort William, &c. 186 + Salmon Flies for the Ness 187 + The River Shin 189 + The River Thurso 191 + The River Esk 194 + Loch Leven 195 + The River Allan 196 + Loch Awe and River 200 + The Rivers Irvine, Girvan, and Stincher, in Ayrshire 203 + Rivers of Wales.--The Conway 205 + The River Dovey 205 + The River Tivey 206 + The Wye, Monmouth 207 + The River Severn 208 + The Trent 209 + Rivers of York and Derby 210 + The Hodder 211 + Rivers of Derby 211 + The Rivers Wandle and Coln 212 + Bait Fishing.--The River Thames 216 + Perch 218 + Barbel 219 + Pike 221 + Roach 224 + Dace 226 + Carp 226 + Chub 227 + Gudgeons and Minnows 228 + Baits 229 + The Art of Dyeing Fishing Colours 232 + To Dye Yellow 234 + To Dye Brown 236 + To Dye a Yellow-Brown 237 + To Dye Blue 238 + To Dye Red 239 + To Dye Orange 240 + To Dye Purple or Violet 241 + To Dye Crimson 241 + To Dye Scarlet. 242 + Crimson Red in Grain 243 + To Dye Green Drake Feathers and Fur 243 + To Dye Claret 244 + Another way to Dye Claret 245 + To Dye Black 246 + To Dye Greens of various Shades 246 + To Dye Lavender or Slate Dun, &c. 247 + Blues 248 + A Silver Grey 248 + A Coffee or Chesnut 249 + To Dye Olives and a Mixture of Colours 249 + A Concise way of Dyeing Colours 250 + The Materials necessary for Artificial Fly Making 256 + + + + +PREFACE. + + +I know not how to apologise for submitting a Second Edition of this +little Book to the notice of the Angling few, after the appearance of so +many by clever writers, except the many calls I had for it, and a +sincere desire of improving farther upon a craft that has not hitherto +been clearly promulgated by a real practitioner; consequently my great +object is to benefit and amuse my readers, by giving them something +practical, which at the present time may be particularly wanted by those +who love to make their own flies, whose wants, without doubt, will be +found sufficiently supplied in this book; the tyro will appreciate it +as valuable to him, and the senior angler who may, perchance, be in +possession of it, and who may be singularly fond of making his flies, +and amusing himself dyeing the hackles and colours, &c., will, I am +persuaded, consider it a treasure. + +My endeavours have been unceasing for many years past, in striving to +please the great Salmon Fishers and Trout Fishers of this Country, and I +must confess that my labours have not been in vain; they have generously +conferred upon me their very kind patronage and good will, benefits for +which I hold them in very great estimation. Under these circumstances, I +have taken much pains to write the book in a befitting manner to suit +their tastes and purposes, although my inability in many instances has +been an obstacle, nevertheless with all my faults I claim the title of +Fisherman, an humble and unimportuned name which no reasonable +dispensation can deprive me of. + +From my boyhood, I took great delight in ranging along the banks of the +beautiful and romantic streams of my native land, Ireland; and having +also been for many years a skilful Fly Fisher of no little commendation, +in both Great Britain and Hibernia, it is my desire to impart to the +world, plainly and easily, the knowledge I have acquired, that all those +who wish to become masters of the art, may, by patience and practice, +and a close adherence to the instructions I shall lay down, derive the +fullest benefit from my experience. + +I have endeavoured in the following treatise on Fly-making, to divest +the subject, as far as possible, of all technicalities and +superfluities; at the same time, I have entered into such full details +in the construction of the Fly, that by adopting the process I have +pointed out, and following the instructions I have given, the aspirants +to the art of Fly-making may speedily become proficients. + +In this little book there will be found nothing imaginary, but it is +purely written from the practice of angling, so that I may without +scruple, justly entitle it THE ART OF FLY-MAKING, ANGLING, AND DYEING +OF COLOURS. It is also interspersed with many useful remarks that will +no doubt agreeably entertain my readers. + +No man has taken such pains to improve upon the angler's craft as I; on +every article in the whole range of fishing tackle I have made some +improvement on rods, flies, lines, reels, and tackle of every sort; and +in these pages have left a lasting memorial of my handicraft to the +fly-fisher, from whom I have hidden nothing that might retard him in his +progress, and who will appreciate it for the great deal of matter +propounded in little compass to prevent incumbrance; that the lovers of +fly fishing, which has superior claims, may have an opportunity of +keeping it in their side pocket,--to be convenient and handy when on +their piscatory excursions, the exercise and variety of which will be +found advantageous to the health, and the calming of the mind--things +not to be purchased; enjoying at the same time the harmonious notes of +the warblers of the grove, and musing upon the diversity of the +prospects around, while straying along the beautiful streams and vallies +of this delightful country. + +The list of flies I have given, will be found very valuable, and the +tyro will take great delight in imitating these flies necessary for use, +and suiting the colours exactly to each, keeping to their symmetrical +forms as they appear with his light materials. This beautiful branch of +fly-making, peculiarly my own, cannot fail to perfect the angler who is +scientific and ingenious, the result of which will be never-failing +success. + +I have added to the art of fly-making full instructions, and the most +approved receipts for dyeing mohair, pighair, feathers, and other +materials most useful and appropriate for imitating the natural flies +and stuffs the most killing for Trout and Salmon; and which will retain +their brilliancy through all the vicissitudes to which they may be +exposed. + +To bring the Engravings of the flies to the greatest perfection, I have +stood at the elbow of the artist who executed this part of the work, +that they might be turned out exact to my own models, which renders them +and the descriptions more intelligible, as the shade in the fibre of +each feather is shown in the plate, in the clearest and finest manner +imaginable, that it may be properly seen how these artificial flies are +constructed,--the resemblance of those beautiful ones, the productions +of the Great Author of Nature, that Trout and Salmon do love to feed +upon. + +I have also given the principal rivers of England, Ireland, Scotland, +and Wales, with the flies best adapted to each, which will enable the +fisher to have all things in readiness on his arrival at their +localities, and sally out on the finny tribe fearless of disappointment; +and for the younger branch of anglers, I have shown the various sorts of +fish, with the tackle and baits best adapted to catch them. + +The catechism of fly making which I have introduced will be found very +curious and instructive to the young beginner, and will afford him every +opportunity of retaining the whole process, that when rehearsed in the +mind, and perfectly understood, he may apply, with more certain +facility, the hand to both material and hook. + + PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, + WILLIAM BLACKER, + + _At 54, Dean Street, Soho, + 1855._ + +[Illustration] + + + + +List of Plates. + + + Plate Page + 1. Blacker Fly-fishing Frontispiece. + 2. Titlepage. + 3. An easy method to make the Trout-fly _opposite_ 3 + 4. An easy method of making a Salmon-fly 8 + 5. The best method of making a Trout-fly 13 + 6. To make the Palmer's _to face_ 20 + 7. How to make the Salmon-fly 23 + 8. Process of making the Gaudy Salmon-fly _opposite_ 30 + 9. The plate of Feathers _to face_ 34 + 10. To make the Winged Larva 42 + 11. Plate of Six Flies Catechism 46 + 12. Plate of 15 Trout-flies _opposite flies for March_ 57 + 13. Plate of 16 Flies _opposite_ 65 + 14. Plate of Larvas and Green Drakes _opposite_ 78 + 15. Plate of Gaudy Flies, Nos. 1, 2, 3, _opposite_ 105 + 16. Plate of three Salmon-flies, Nos. 4, 5, 6, _opposite_ 108 + 17. Plate of four Flies, Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10 110 + 18. Large Spring Salmon-fly 116 + 19. Plate of 7 Flies and Salmon _to face_ 145 + 20. Plate of Minnow tackle, &c. _to face_ 216 + 21. Plate of Pike tackle, &c. 221 + 22. Paternoster and Barbel tackle 230 + +[Illustration] + + + _An Extract of a Review of William Blacker's Art + of Fly Making, &c. &c. &c., taken from "Bell's + Life in London," April 8th, 1855._ + +"THE ART OF FLY MAKING, ANGLING & DYEING OF COLOURS. BY W. BLACKER,--Mr. +Blacker has been a celebrated trout and salmon angler from early +boyhood, and he is known to be the best maker of trout and salmon flies +alive. We have never seen such flies as his, for naturalness of shape, +appropriateness of colour and for beauty and solidity of finish. In +making flies he has "caught a grace beyond the reach of art," and this +he exhibits in the _Sanspareil_ work before us. It contains no fewer +than seventeen engravings on steel and copper, of trout and salmon +flies, in every stage of fabrication, from the whipping of hook and gut +together to the finishing of the head. These engravings, every plate +crowded with figures, are executed after his own models and under his +own _Surveillance_, and carefully and beautifully coloured, he standing, +as he says, "by the artist's elbow." They contain coloured +representations of hackles, wing-feathers, fur, silk, tinsel, in their +natural state, and prepared for forming the artificial insect. His +profusely illustrated instructions for making salmon-flies are entirely +original there being nothing at all like them in any work extant, and he +must be a dull scholar indeed, who shall not, after brief study of them, +become his own salmon fly dresser. Mr. Blacker withholds no secret and +spares no pains in developing by the aid of pen and pencil his own +method, and we consider it the best, of making artificial flies for +every variety of trout and salmon. He gives numerous, well-tried recipes +for dying feathers and all other materials, the colours necessary for +the successful operations of the fly-maker. He points out how rods are +best made, the best sort of winches, lines and hooks, and proves himself +a safe guide to the purchaser. He teaches how the rod, and line and +flies, are to be used--the art of casting with them, how a river is to +be fished, and how a fish, whether trout or salmon, is to be struck, +hooked and landed. He describes the best trout and salmon rivers in the +empire, the right season for fishing them, and gives an illustrated list +of the flies, stating the materials of what they are to be made, that +kill best on them. On flies, favourites of his from experience, he +dwells with pleased and pleasing minuteness, and for the first time +discloses how the "winged larva," a deadly invention of his own, is to +be constructed. Never, was a book more honestly and conscientiously +written. It glows with deep-felt enthusiasm for his art, and with a +generous desire of revealing everything that pertains to the perfect +acquisition of it in all its branches. It is a work of great labour and +long pains-taking, unique at all points, and no one could have written +it but a practical angler of long, passionate, and devoted experience in +the capture of salmon and salmonidae, and of _ne plus ultra_ perfection +in the art of making artificial flies, and concomitant fishing tackle. +The work is published by himself, at 54, Dean Street, Soho, and we +recommend it more earnestly than we have ever done any other work of the +sort." + + * * * * * + +_An Extract from "Bell's Life," April 29th, 1855._ + +"I shall copy a few of Mr. Blacker's patterns as given in his +recently-published and very valuable work, entitled _Art of Fly Making, +&c._ He is by far the best flymaker I have ever known, and his opinions +on flies and fly-fishing deserve the attention of us all. In the book +just named he says of the Yellow Sally:--"This is the forerunner of the +green drake or May-fly. The trout take this little fly freely if made +after this description:-- + + "Body, buff-coloured fur and a small yellow hackle + for legs round the head; wings of the + buff-coloured feather inside the wing of the + thrush. Hook, 13." + + "Several ways of imitating the May-fly. First, + Blacker's, as given in his Art of Fly Making:--The + body of this beautiful fly is made of yellow green + mohair, the colour of a gosling newly hatched, and + ribbed with yellow-brown silk, a shade of light + brown mohair at the tail, and a tuft of the same + at the shoulder, picked out between the hackle, + the whisks of the tail three black hairs, + three-quarters of an inch long; the hackle to be + dyed a greenish buff (dye, according to my recipe, + a silver dun hackle with bars across it, called a + cuckoo,) or a light ginger hackle bordering on + yellow. The wings, which should be made full, and + to stand upright, are made of mallard's feathers + dyed of a greenish buff, or yellowish shade; a + brown head of peacock harl tied neatly above the + wings on a No. 6 hook. The wings may be made of + the tops of two large dyed mallard's feathers, + with fibres stripped off at the butts of the + stems, tied back to back. These feathers stand up + well and appear very naturally in the water. + Large-sized ones kill well in lakes, with bright + yellow mohair bodies ribbed with gold twist. + + "Second way, from A Handbook of Angling.--Body, + bright yellow mohair, or floss silk, ribbed + sparingly with light bronze peacock harl; wings, + mottled feather of the mallard dyed a pale yellow + green. They are to stand nearly erect, and to be + slightly divided. Legs, a couple of turns of a + red-ginger hackle; tail, three hairs from the + rabbit's whisker. Hook, 5, 6, and 7.--Another way: + Body, yellow-brown mohair; wings, mallard's + feather dyed yellow, and black head; legs, + yellowish hackle; tail and hooks as before. During + the season of the May-fly, should the weather be + gloomy, with a strong warm wind, I would angle + with three flies on the casting-line of different + sizes, and of colours slightly differing, buff, + yellow, and yellow-green, and one of them made + buzz. The largest fly should be used as the + stretcher; the smallest the upper bob." + +_An Extract from "Bell's Life," April 1st, 1855 "The Ondine" in the Book +of the Salmon, by "Ephemera,"_ + + "Gold tip; tail, small, brilliant topping, light + blue tag; body, blue peacock harl, closely ribbed + with fine gold twist; two joints of green trogan + feather, and one of red orange hackle under the + wings, and over their butts blue jay; wings, a + careful mixture of fibres of bustard, silver + pheasant, yellow and blue macaw teal, guinea-hen + and golden pheasant tail and neck-feathers, + surmounted by a topping; feelers, blue and yellow + macaw, and bright peacock harl, head. Hook, No. 7 + and 8. This waterwitch, sculptured originally by + Blacker, is properly called "Ondine." The first + time I saw it I nearly lost my senses, and was + upon the point of becoming its victim. + + "The May-fly and Phelim Rhu are best made by + Blacker, of Dean Street, Soho; Phelim is one of + his many good inventions. Dressed on the smallest + sized grilse hook, it will on dark days and + evenings, and in full water kill sea trout and + large common trout in every locality. See a + celebrated claret fly plate No. 4, page 108." + + * * * * * + +_Prince Albert's Letter to the Author, enclosing_ L10. + + Nearly eleven years have rolled by, since I sent a + copy of the first edition of this work to His + Royal Highness Prince Albert, who conferred upon + me much honor by a favourable reply to it, at that + time I took great pains to illustrate it with + specimens of the most costly and beautifully + executed salmon and trout flies imaginable, many + of which were worth a guinea a piece. In this new + edition for 1855 I have given numerous + copperplates of these excellent killing flies + superbly painted to suit the rivers of Ireland, + Scotland, England, and Wales; such choice + specimens are they that I think salmon and trout + will not refuse them in any river in Britain, they + are models of gracefulness, and will prove very + attractive to the finny tribe, they are all + general favourite flies of mine, and of the great + salmon and trout fly fishers of the present day. + The angler should never fail to try them wherever + he roamed in rivers known or unknown to him, and + succesful experience has given me an opportunity + of recommending them with the greatest confidence, + they have killed fish when they have been half + gnawed away, and as a fisherman I look upon them + with admiration although they are the work of my + own fingers, I think I will not say amiss if I + predestinate that the real enthusiastic fly + fishers, nine out of ten, will be in love with + them. + + +THE LETTER. + + "Buckingham Palace, May 7th, 1844. + +"Mr. Anson is commanded by His Royal Highness Prince Albert to enclose +Mr. Blacker a cheque for ten pounds for the Work on Angling which +accompanied his letter, the receipt of which he will have the goodness +to acknowledge." + + + + +THE ART OF FLY-MAKING, + +ETC., ETC., + +BY WILLIAM BLACKER. + + +To give something that will convey a durable and correct idea of +Fly-making, Angling, and Dyeing of Colours to my pupils, is what I aim +at, and desire they should understand: for when they are inhaling the +fresh breezes on the river's bank, observing with delight the varied +tints and delicate forms of the winged insects skimming the surface, and +the sportive trout, pitching over and over, taking them down, this is +the time, no doubt, when far from the din of a busy town they will thank +me for my trouble in directing their attention to the proper shades, +which is the most essential of all things in the Art to be considered. +The amusement and pleasing recollections of the Fly-fisher, (when +studying the various colours and materials necessary for the formation +of the artificial fly--those fanciful ones which salmon take so freely, +and the imitating, if possible, by the aid of these materials, those +beautiful ones in Nature), will be infinitely more pleasing than can be +well comprehended by a careless observer of the craft. Many a pleasant +hour may be spent, that otherwise would prove tedious, when confined to +quarters of an unfavourable day, far from home, looking over your +dubbing book and tying a fly. It gives relief to the uneasy mind by +calming the disorders that disappointments may have caused, and by +cheering the hearts of those who pursue it as a relaxation and +enjoyment. The recommendations on Angling are without number, and there +is nothing can delight the heart of the fly-fisher so much as to see the +fish rise at the flies on the surface of the water, and their beautiful +appearance when landed on the bank; this, with the varied scenery which +the windings of the river presents to the imagination, as you roam +along, are inducements that cannot fail to gratify the admirer of +sportive fish and rushing streams. + +[Illustration: AN EASY METHOD TO MAKE THE TROUT-FLY.] + +I have seen, in days when the fish are not in the humour of taking, a +fly tied neatly near the tint, somewhat gaudy, will unquestionably +entice them to rise, and will decidedly be more advantageous than +fishing without plan. In days when the natural flies are most numerous, +the trout will not take the artificial fly so freely; on the contrary, +when these insects are rarely to be seen, if the angler can find the +colour that is then prevailing, and imitate it, his success will be +considerably increased. + +In these pages will be found descriptions of Flies that will kill well +in every river and lake in the United Kingdom. And those in the "Hand +Book of Angling," and the "Book of the Salmon," by the celebrated +"Ephemera," will also be found excellent throughout the Kingdom. + + + + +AN EASY METHOD TO MAKE THE TROUT FLY. + +(_See Plate._) + + +The tyro will provide himself with a dubbing book, containing numerous +compartments, to hold feathers, furs, pig hair, mohair, hackles, wing +feathers, silk, tinsel, scissars, pliers, knife, and every other +article necessary for fly-making--all of which may be procured at my +Shop, 54, DEAN STREET, SOHO, with RODS, REELS, LINES, GUT, HOOKS, +ARTIFICIAL BAITS, and every denomination of FISHING TACKLE, of the most +superior quality in LONDON. + +Having laid out your materials on the table, seat yourself by a good +light, and proceed as follows:--Take a piece of fine silk, and pin one +end of it on your knee, take the other end between your left fore-finger +and thumb, and with the right, take a small piece of shoemaker's wax, +well tempered, and rub it all over the silk, keeping it tight in your +left till it is all covered with the wax, rub it well on the end you are +about to tie on the hook with, to keep it firm, for it will be found a +very great object to use the wax throughout the making of the fly, as +with the working of the tying silk it rubs off with the hand. There is a +very beautiful silk of all colours to be had on spools, which ribbons +are made of, that works very finely on the hook; when you wax it, take +two or three folds of it, and pin it evenly on your knee, as before (or +hold it between your teeth and twist it), twist it gently between your +fingers a little so that you can wax it well, provide a piece of leather +about an inch wide and an inch and a half long, double it, and lay a +piece of nicely tempered wax between the folds, flatten it, and when you +wax the silk, take the leather between your fingers, open the edge of +it, and rub the wax on the tying silk in the same way as before, and you +will not break the silk so easily, or dirty your fingers with the wax. +You now take the hook by the bend in the left fore-finger and thumb, +give two or three turns of the silk round the shank, flatten the end of +the gut a little, which keeps it from drawing off, and tie it on +underneath about half way down the hook firmly, this done, lay on a +little varnish with your pencil. Take a piece of finer silk to make the +fly with, and fasten it near the end of the shank, do not bring the silk +to the extreme end of the shank to leave room for the wings, as they are +apt to slip over on the gut if tied on too near. You strip off two +pieces from the woodcock or starling wing, and lay them together evenly +at the points, that the wings may be double when tied on (see the +Trout-fly wing cut out of the woodcock feather, in the Plate), see that +you do not make the wings too long when tying them on, let them be a +little longer than the bend; press them tightly with your nails on the +hook where you tie them on, and do not clip the ends of the wings with +your nails, which gives them an unnatural appearance, but whether you +lay them on first, or tie them on the reverse way and turn them back, +make a judgment of the proper length; you now tie the wings on the +reverse way at the end of the shank, with two or three rolls of the +silk, give a running knot over it, and clip off the refuse ends of the +roots of the feather; now before you form the body or tie on the hackle, +turn the wings up in their place with the thumb nail of the right, and +divide them in equal parts with a needle, draw the silk in and out +between them, take a turn or two over the roots to keep them firmly in +their place, and fasten with a running knot behind them next your left; +then tie on the hackle, to suit the size, by the root (the soft flue +previously picked off), close to the wings on its back, and give a knot +over it, take the hackle by the point in your pliers, and roll it over +the shank close under the wings two or three times on its side, keeping +the outside of it next the wings, then draw it (the hackle) right +through them, let the pliers hang with the point of the hackle in them +at the head, and take two turns of the tying silk over it, fasten on the +end of the shank which was left a little bare, cut off the silk and +hackle points, give another knot or so to secure it before so doing, and +lay on a little varnish at the head; now tie on a piece of fine tying +silk opposite the barb on the shank, take two fibres of a mallard +feather and tie them on about three-eighths of an inch long for tail, to +extend over the bend of the hook, and with one knot tie on a piece of +fine floss silk about three inches long to rib the fly; mix a little of +the hare fur with yellow mohair, and draw a small quantity of it out of +the lump with the right hand, take the hook by the bend in your left, +lay the silk and hair over the end of the third finger, the hook being +held in, twist the silk and hair together and roll it finely to the +shoulder, give a running knot or two with the silk close to the hackle, +take care to have a little more of the fur next the shoulder to make the +body nicely tapered; you may continue to make the body from where you +rolled on the hackle first, and fasten at the tail, and roll the hackle +over it if the fly is to be of a long description; tail your fly, and +tip it with tinsel, and with two running knots finish opposite the barb, +at this point before you finish, wax your silk well, and touch with your +varnish pencil: if there are any fibres of the hackle or of the wing, or +the hair standing in a wrong direction, clip it off with your scissars, +and your fly is completed. You may tie on floss silk or peacock's harl +for the body the same as the mohair; and you can perceive that you may +finish at the tail or at the shoulder, according to fancy--do not lose +sight of this plan. + +[Illustration: _An easy method of making a Salmon Fly._] + + + + +AN EASY METHOD OF MAKING A PLAIN SALMON FLY. + +(_See Plate._) + + +Tie on the salmon hook to a length of twisted gut or loop (see the gut +and hook tied on in the Plate of Salmon Hook, No. 1) firmly with strong +marking silk well waxed, and lay on a little varnish; then take two +pieces of turkey tail feather of equal size, or mallard feather, +according to the colour of the wings you intend to make (see the turkey +tail and mallard wings prepared, in the plate of feathers), tie them on +the reverse way, a little longer than the bend of the hook where they +are turned up (see the wings tied on the reverse way, Plate VII., on +Salmon Hooks); these are tied on as the trout fly wings just described, +and when turned up appear like the wings of plate No. 1, in an easy +method of making a salmon fly--in this plate may be seen every thing +necessary in making a plain salmon fly--these flies will be found good +killers a great way up rivers from the sea. You hold the hook by the +bend, and tie in the hackle at the head of the fly by the root end, and +the tinsel to rib it in like manner (see the hackle tied on and the +tinsel, Plate II.); about the same place where the hackle is tied on, +tie three or four harls of the peacock's tail, twist them round the +tying silk, and roll it down to the tail, and fasten with a running knot +(see the body of Plate II.) the tying silk is now left hanging at the +tail, where may be seen a small portion of the harl left cut, to shew +where it was fastened; you roll the tinsel over the body to the same +place and tie, three turns of the tinsel is sufficient; you then take +the hackle by the end in your right hand, and roll it sideways in +rotation with the tinsel, twisting it in your finger and thumb as you +turn it over, to keep it slanting from the head, tie it in at the same +place with a running knot, and clip off the ends of the hackle; you may +tie in a short tail at this place, wax your silk, and finish with two or +three running knots, cut off the tying silk, and touch them with a +little varnish, to keep them from slipping--press down the hackle +between your fingers which slants it to the tail--as the hackle is run +over the body from the head to the tail of this fly, it will appear in +the formation of the body (Plate III., on Salmon Hooks); when the fly is +made with the hackle only struck round the shoulder, take two or three +turns of it under the wings, and tie it in there (see Plate III., in an +easy method of making a Salmon Fly). The body may be seen in this fly +with the tinsel rolled over it, and tied in at the tail; a piece of the +harl, tinsel and silk left to shew how it is done. The tinsel and harl +are cut off, and with the tying silk, which is seen hanging, tie on a +tail of topping, or mohair, feather of macaw, mallard, or any other to +suit the taste or colour of the fly; you may tie on an ostrich harl, or +peacock's harl, head like Plate I., where the tying silk may be seen +hanging: the three flies on this plate, which are correctly engraved, +will be found most valuable to the young beginner; and it is an expert +method for the salmon fisher, when in a hurry, to make a fly or two for +immediate use. + +When you wish to mix plain wings without dividing, tie them on first at +the end of the shank, and form the head like No. 1 in this plate, which +I think is the neatest of any, and suits best in rivers not very full of +water. If you notice this plate correctly, it will be seen to correspond +with the shape of the natural dragon fly; and as this fly, of various +hues, is reared at the bottom of the water, it must be an alluring bait +for the salmon and large trout; for when it first leaves the element of +its birth, and proceeds to the banks of the river in a very feeble +state, directly it receives strength it commences skimming the surface, +preying upon the insects flying in the air at this time, and, when it +comes weakly out of the water, the fish, no doubt, take it freely. + +There is another sort of fly that proceeds from the water, about the +size of the flies on this plate, the body of which is of the colour of +the blue feathers on the peacock's neck exactly, its legs are a dark +brown colour, almost black, hanging long, and few of them; the wings, +which stand upright on its back, or I may say, its head and shoulders, +for the head and wings at the roots, and legs spring all out of the one +lump which is very thick here in comparison to its beautiful slender +body of many joints; the wings, I say, are a bronze brown with a moon in +all the four like the peacock's tail feather, which in the artificial +fly would be just the colour mixed with a little drake feather; there +are some of them all brown, and some with bright green bodies, and blue +green as above; all these beautiful insects must afford food for the +fish. This of course accounts for the artificial representation in use, +and it cannot be denied that they take them for natural ones, which the +fly-fisher, according to fancy, forms most fantastically, varying on +most of the rivers. + +[Illustration: The best method of making a Trout-fly] + + + + +TO MAKE THE TROUT FLY, IN THE BEST AND MOST APPROVED METHOD. + +_(See Plate with Picker)._ + + +The reader will lay out his materials before him on the table, which +consist of hook, gut, wings, hackle, feather for tail, body of fur, +floss silk, or peacock harl, silk to rib it, wax, tying silk, &c., all +things now ready, proceed as follows:--Wax a piece of fine China silk, +about a foot in length; if it is spool or ribbon silk, twist two pieces +together, and take one end between your teeth, twisting with your +fingers and thumbs, not too much; take the other end in the left, and +wax it up and down till it is covered with the wax all over; you may pin +it on your knee as in the first plan, and wax it; take the hook by the +bend in the left hand, say a No. 6 or 7 to begin with, placing your silk +just waxed on the shank under your left thumb nail, and give two or +three turns of the silk towards you, flatten the end of the gut a +little, and tie it on to the hook about half way down the shank, at the +same time hold the gut and hook tightly between your nails, and shift it +as you go up or down, on the hook shank with the tying silk; the hook +firmly tied on, take out one of the wing feathers of the hen pheasant, +and cut out of the centre of it two equal pieces to compose the wings, +(see the piece cut out for the trout fly wing in the plate of Feathers), +you lay these two pieces together even at the points, take them between +the nails of the right hand, place them on the end of the shank between +the finger and thumb of the left, and give two or three turns of the +silk over them tightly, winding the silk towards you, cut off the roots +of the feather slantingly with your scissars, as this swells the fly at +the shoulder when forming the body; the wings are now tied the reverse +way, (see No. 7 Plate, at the sign of the "picker.") The three flies at +top of this plate I will explain, when I show how the wings are turned +back in their place. You now turn the hook in your fingers and hold it +by the head, and of course you roll the tying silk from you; form the +tail, body, and hackle, while holding your hook by the shank shift it in +your hand till the nails are opposite the barb, where you tie on a tail +(see Plate VII) You now draw a little mohair or fur out of the piece +lying on the table, and lay it along the tying silk sparingly, twist it +round the silk, and roll it up to the shoulder, or nearly so, and give a +running knot; take a small hackle and cut it at the point (see hackle at +the bottom of this plate), or, instead of cutting it, draw it back a +little with the fingers, as you may see the grouse hackle prepared in +the plate of feathers, or hackle cut at point in the plate of feathers; +tie the hackle on at the centre of the body at the point where it is +cut, and give a running knot, and to fill up the space between that and +the shoulder, roll on a little more fur, and give a knot with the silk; +wax your silk occasionally, as it wears off; you now turn the hook round +in the fingers and hold it by the bend; this turning of the hook is the +most curious and convenient part of it; the hackle appears standing on +the fly, as in Plate II., or V. You take the hackle by the end in your +right hand, and roll it up to the shoulder in a slanting direction, +giving it an extra turn or two at the head, as you see Plate VII., tie +it down, and cut off the stem of the hackle; take the fly between your +finger and thumb, keeping the fibres of the hackle under them out of the +way while you turn up the wings; you now divide them in two with a +needle or "picker," turn up the off side one first and tie it down, then +the one next you, and turn the silk in and out between them, to keep +them asunder; you then draw all under your finger and thumb, and with +the tying silk, give two turns over the ends, which forms a head, and +finish on the small bit of hook left at the head, take a turn or two of +the silk round the gut to guard it, and take two running knots; the fly +now appears as Plate IV., press the fly between the fingers which slants +the hackle towards the tail. + +As this is a valuable plate of flies to work upon, I will here commence +with Numbers 1, 2, 3, and then 5 and 4, these two latter flies are +bodies of gaudy sea-trout ones, or grilse flies. The wings are tied on +last of the three first flies--you hold the hook by the bend in the +left, and tie on the hook, gut, and tail, as you see in Plate I.; you +then place on a little mohair to form the body, as in Plate II.; before +you reach the shoulder you tie in the hackle, as No. 2, and leave a +little of the end of the hook to receive the wings, and let the silk +hang at the head; you now take the hackle by the end in your right, and +roll it slantingly on its side or partly on its back, placing the third +finger of the hand, the fly being held in against the hackle at each +roll till you come to the shoulder, take a turn of the silk over it cut +off the stem, and give a knot; let the silk hang at the place you are +about to tie on the wings, the fly now appears as Plate III., and in +this plate you may perceive the right length the hackle ought to be for +the size of the hook; you then cut off two pieces from the starling or +woodcock wings, and lay them together to make the wings of the fly full, +and to appear double when finished, or a piece of mallard feather, like +the wings of Plate IV.; you now hold the fly between the fore-finger and +thumb nails of the left hand, close to where you see the silk hanging +(Plate III.), tie on the off side wing first, holding tight by the nails +to keep it on the top of the shank so that it will not turn round with +the silk, wax your silk here, keep the middle finger of the left against +it while you take up the other wing, and tie it on in like manner on the +near side; this plan makes a division in the wings. You must endeavour +to keep them tight on the end of the shank, or they will fall over on +the gut, but by holding tight with the nails, and drawing tightly with +the tying silk, you may soon prevent mistakes, and use every thing +sparingly to prevent clumsiness or you will never get on. Now cut off +the ends of the wings closely, and finish with a turn or two, and a +running knot or two at the very head, and the fly will appear like the +finished fly, Plate IV., lay on a little spirit-varnish at the head, +which keeps it firm--(this varnish you may procure at the oil and colour +warehouses, or at doctor's shops, that which is used for rods is best.) + +Now for the two Plates V. and VI.:-- + +When the hook and gut is neatly tied on, as Plate I., you take a hook, +size of the above two, and a hackle to suit; you hold the hook by the +bend in the left, and opposite the barb where you see the silk hanging +at No. 1, you take a piece of tinsel, tie it on, and give two or three +turns just immediately below where you tie in the tail (see the tip of +tinsel below the tail, Plate V.), take an ostrich harl and roll it on +for tag, which you will see just above the tip of tinsel, then tie on a +topping above that, as you may see, then the piece of tinsel to rib the +body, which you may see extending longer than the tail; you now take a +piece of floss silk, fine, and form the body of it from the tail to the +shoulder, as you see the taper body of Plate V., and during the interval +tie in the hackle on the centre of the body, at the point where the silk +is hanging to receive the wings; take the end of the hackle in your +right (first roll the tinsel as the body of Plate VI.) finger and thumb, +and roll it slantingly over the body in rotation with the tinsel, as you +see in this latter plate, and tie it down at the end of the shank, leave +the silk hanging as in this plate, touch it at this place with varnish; +you may wing it with turkey or "glede" (kite's) tail feather, mallard, +&c., like the plate of the plain fly, opposite No. 7, or like the wing +of the gaudy Irish salmon fly immediately under that number at the +bottom of the plate, (I mention these two flies in this manner to +distinguish them from the plate on Salmon Hooks). These two are models +of a plain, and gaudy Irish fly; the delicacy of the body of the gaudy +one, as the silk and tinsel is so finely wrought between each joint of +harl and hackles, is beyond compare; and the wing is finely mixed, +although not so perfect as the beautiful engravings of the twelve +salmon flies. + +Before I begin the gaudy salmon fly, I will here show how the palmer is +made, in two or three ways. + +[Illustration: TO MAKE THE PALMER OR DOUBLE HACKLEFLY.] + + + + +TO MAKE THE PALMER, OR DOUBLE-HACKLE FLY. + + +You tie on the hook firmly as before, and prepare two hackles for the +fly, as you may see in the plate of Feathers, two hackles tied together +at the roots, which keeps them on their sides evenly while rolling them +on; you hold the hook by the shank in your left hand, tie in the +hackles, the inside downwards, that when tied on and finished, the +outside of the feathers appears to the eye (see the hackle tied in at +the points, and the body and tinsel rolled on, at the bottom of the +plates of Trout Flies for the season); tie in the tinsel to the body, +and the peacock's harl, or mohair, or floss silk, to form it, at the +same place--turn the hook in your fingers, and hold it by the bend; take +the harls in your right hand, and roll them up to the head, or mohair, +or your floss silk in the same way; take a turn of the tying silk +over, with a running knot, clip off the ends of the harl, (leave a +little of the end of the shank of the hook bare to finish on, or you +will not be enabled to roll the two hackles neatly up to this place). +Next, roll the tinsel over the harl, and tie, slope it as you go up; +then take hold of the hackles in your right hand, and roll them over the +body close beside the tinsel slopingly, taking care at the same time to +keep the third or middle finger of the hand the fly is held in tight +against them at each turn, and roll them closer as you go up to the +shoulder, pull them tight here, and if there are any fibres left on the +stem of the hackle that are superfluous, pull them off, still keeping +your finger against them, and holding hard the hook; now take a roll or +two of the tying silk over them and the knots, give the stem another +pull to tighten them, and clip it off, tie down the head neatly with two +running knots, and varnish it; press the fly between your fingers to +slant the hackles downwards; and if any of the fibres of the hackles +stand the wrong way cut them off, although, if they are rolled evenly +together on their sides or back, you will turn the fly out correct,--see +the beautiful Palmer in the plate, with the hook tied in on the back, +which is a perfect model,--these hooks are tied together on the same +piece of gut first, and then make the fly over them. It is difficult to +perform this job until you know how to make a palmer on a single hook. + +[Illustration: How to make the Salmon-Fly] + +The foregoing is my favorite way of making a palmer, but you must be +proficient before you can manage it well. I will here show how it can be +made in a very easy manner, when you are able to handle the materials, +and tie on nicely. When you have the hook and gut neatly tied on, take +two hackles, and tie them in at the end of the shank by the roots on +their back, tie in the peacock harl and tinsel to rib it at the same +place; holding your hook of course by the bend in the left hand, take +hold of the two hackles in your pliers by the points, and when the +tinsel and body is rolled on, turn the hackles over the body close with +the tinsel on their backs slopingly, till you reach the tail; here let +go the pliers, and they will hang with the ends of the hackles still in +them, till you take two turns of the silk over them, clip off the ends +of the hackles, and tie it neatly with two running knots, lay on a +little varnish; the fly will look rather rough in this method when +finished, but with a little pain you will soon accomplish it; press down +the fibres with your fingers, and cut away the superfluities. You should +have a palmer ready made before you always while making this fly, which +will facilitate you in your progress. + +When you find it difficult to place on the hackles first while you are +making a fly, pull off one side of the fibres, and lay two evenly +together, and draw them back at the points where you tie them in, as the +hackle in the plate of Feathers, and roll them always slopingly over the +body to the shoulder, on their edge with the outside of them next the +head; and, according as you come up to the end of the shank, roll them +closer, which makes the fly appear full there, press them well down with +your fingers, (see the three-hackle, or Palmer Flies for Trout, 7, 8, +and 9). The hackles of these three flies are beautifully struck. + + + + +HOW TO MAKE THE SALMON FLY, AS SHOWN IN THE BEAUTIFUL PLATE OF +ENGRAVINGS ON SALMON HOOKS. + + +Reader, you will have an idea of the sorts of materials you require for +the different processes on each hook in the plates, as the models were +tied by me in strict proportion, and are most exquisite engravings: You +take a piece of twisted gut to form the loop on the fly, double it over +a needle, or "picker," to form an eye, and pare off the ends slantingly +to lie nice and even when tied, as you may see in Plate I. on Salmon +Hooks; wind your waxed silk round the shank of the hook about four or +five times, before placing on the gut; hold the hook in the left hand +near the end of the shank, lay the gut-loop underneath, and hold on +between your finger and thumb tightly, to prevent it turning round when +you lap the tying silk over it, and keep shifting your fingers down the +shank out of the way of the tying silk in its progress to the tail, +which you will see in Plate I. You now draw out a small piece of yellow, +or red mohair, keep it tight between the nails and tie it on, first tip +the fly immediately under the tail, as in Plate I.; you make it even +with your scissars at the point, as that tail is seen; you now take a +piece of yellow or orange floss silk, and lap it from the tail about +two-eighths of an inch up to where you see the hackle and tinsel tied +in, Plate II.; after having tied the hackle and tinsel on as you see it +there, (you may draw the point of the hackle back, as the hackle +prepared in the plate of Feathers, instead of cutting it at the point, +as you may see also the hackle cut, in the plate of Feathers). You now +shift your finger and thumb up the body a little, and just where you +finished the knot over the floss silk twist a little pig hair round the +tying silk sparingly, and roll it over the shank to the head, or within +the eighth of an inch of the head, as you may see in Plate II.; you now +take the two pieces of tinsel in the right hand and roll them up +slopingly to where the silk is hanging, Plate II., and whip it down; you +next take the stem of the hackle in the right hand, and roll it evenly +beside the tinsel on its side, or partly on its back (this is done by +giving the stem a gentle twist in your fingers) till you bring it to the +head where there may be two or three extra rolls of it given to make it +full at the shoulder, or where you tie on the wings, (see the hackle, +beautifully rolled on from tail to shoulder, Plate III). You now take a +piece of mallard feather, stripped off with your nails, and press it +small at the end of the roots where it is to be tied on, (see the +Mallard Wing prepared in the plate of Feathers); you strip another piece +like it, and lay them even together; you take the other two pieces in +like manner and do the same, so that each wing, when tied on, will be +double; you now take the fly, Plate III., in your hand between the nails +close to the shoulder, and wax well the piece of silk that hangs here; +you take up one wing and lay it on at the off side, and give two whips +of the silk over it tightly, holding on at the shoulder well with the +left hand, to keep the wing from turning round under the belly; you now +take up the near side wing, and lay it on in like manner, whipping it +twice over, and then a running knot, (see the Mallard Wings, tied +beautifully on, Plate IV.); and in that plate you see the root ends +projecting over the loop, cut them off, and finish it with three or four +turns of the silk, and two knots, close to the root of the wings to make +all even. + +I will now proceed to show how the other three flies are formed--5, 6, +and 7. + +These may be termed middling gaudy, and are famous for the rivers in the +north of Scotland, or the clear waters of Ireland. You perform the +operation of tying on the hook as Plate I; tip the fly at the tail, and +tie on a topping; take a piece of black ostrich or peacock harl, tie it +in at the roots, and roll it evenly over the shank two or three times +(see the harl tag, Plate V); tie in the hackle above the ostrich tag, +leave it hanging, and roll the twist up the body, previously formed of +floss silk nicely tapered (see the Body of Plate V); take the hackle in +the right hand, and roll it evenly with the tinsel, and fasten it as +Plate VI; leave the silk hanging here to tie on the wings and the head. +The wings of Plate VII, may be seen tied on the reverse way, and the +body and hackle formed afterwards; they are now ready to turn back in +their proper place to hang over the body, this is done by turning them +neatly up with the thumb nail of the right hand, and laying them evenly +on each side of the fly, with the best side of the feather out. The +spots and shades which are perceivable in the wings and hackles of all +the engraved specimens of fly, are shown to great perfection--I have +described the whole of them, to match the shades exactly, so that it is +impossible to go astray when tying on each fibre of feather. + +We will now return to Plate VI, and teach how it is to be winged--You +cut off a strip from the turkey tail feather, which must be unbroken, as +a whole wing; after measuring the proper length of it for the hook, you +draw each piece small with the nails where it is to be tied on, as the +strip is broader at the root, so that, take it on the whole, it must be +narrow where this piece of feather is made small at the roots, as seen +in the plate of Feathers, to keep it so whole, touch it with a little +varnish, and let it dry a little on the table. + +You take hold of the fly in your left hand, close to the head, draw the +fibres of the hackle out of the way by placing them under your fingers; +take the wing in your right hand and lay it on, catching it between the +left finger and thumb on the top of the hook tightly, and give two rolls +of the tying silk over it; take up the other wing, like the last, and +lay it on the near side, and lap the silk over it in like manner (renew +the silk with wax before the wings are tied on); you now may tie on a +few fibres of golden pheasant neck, and tail feathers at each side of +the wings just put on, and a piece of macaw feather at each side; head +it with ostrich, or roll a little pig hair round the silk sparingly, lap +it over twice, and finish by giving two running knots over it close to +the root of the wings (see the wing of the middling plain Salmon Fly, +Plate II, immediately above the Sea-Trout Fly and May Fly.) + +The reader will perceive in this plate ON SALMON HOOKS, that I have just +described a garden, as it were fully cultivated, there is hardly a space +left waste, like the broad fields of industrious England, whose sons +"never, never shall be slaves." All the other plates are likewise full +of useful matter, which will prove my hard labour, and at the same time +show that I have hid nothing from the Fly-Fisher in all the processes. + +If the fly (Plate V., ON SALMON HOOKS) is winged with feathers, like the +Irish gaudy wing, prepared in the plate of Feathers, it will be found to +approach near the gaudy fly at the bottom of the plate, with "picker" at +top. + +I will now describe the process of making the Gaudy Salmon Fly, the +plate of which is invaluable to the Salmon fisher:-- + +[Illustration: _Process of making the Gaudy Salmon-fly_] + + + + +PROCESS OF MAKING THE GAUDY SALMON FLY. + +(_See Plate._) + + +You commence by tying the hook and gut firmly together, and that it may +be more easy and convenient to the reader to accomplish this process of +making the Gaudy Salmon Fly, I will tell how it is done in my own +favourite way.--Take the hook in the left hand and hold by the shank +immediately opposite the barb, here fasten on a piece of fine tying +silk, finer than you tied the hook and gut on with, tie on a piece of +tinsel, and roll it over the hook three or four times to tip the fly; +place the nail of the left thumb on it, and tie with one knot (see the +tip on the first fly in the plate, just below the ostrich tag); take a +middling size golden pheasant topping, and tie it on just below the +ostrich tag with a piece of tinsel, about a finger length, to rib the +body (see the tinsel); take a hackle to suit the size of the hook, draw +it a little back from the point, that is the fibres (see the hackle +ready to tie in at tail in the first fly); take a fibre of ostrich, tie +it on, and give two or three rolls of it from you, and as you turn it +over keep the soft pile of the feather towards the tail, as this will +make the tag appear even, and give a running knot, the less knots the +better at this point to prevent clumsiness; now take a piece of pig +hair, and twist it round the tying silk (see the pig hair round the +silk, and the hackle tied on just above it), roll the pig hair over the +body, giving it a turn or two between the ostrich tag and the hackle, +that when the hackle is struck it may appear from the centre of the fly +to the shoulder; the pig hair is now on, roll the tinsel over it +slopingly till you come within the eighth of an inch of the loop; take +hold of the end of the hackle in the right hand, and roll it up on its +edge, or partly on its back, in rotation with the tinsel, and tie it +down with two knots, clip off the end of the hackle and tinsel. + +If the fly is to be made with the hackle struck only round the shoulder +(see hackle tied in at shoulder, on the second fly in this plate. I have +not numbered the three flies on this plate, to distinguish it from the +plate of AN EASY METHOD OF MAKING A SALMON FLY.) See pig hair body and +tinsel rolled on; shift your hand up the hook in the left, and hold by +the middle, take the hackle in the right, and roll it from you closely +round the shoulder, (see hackle tied in at shoulder), leaving at the +same time enough of the hook bare at the end of the shank to tie on the +wings, and to roll on the jay feather (see jay hackle ready), the hackle +supposed to be rolled round the shoulder, cut off the tinsel and pig +hair which you see on the piece of silk, leaving another piece attached +in the same place to tie on the wings (see the piece of tinsel and pig +hair left at the head ready to be cut off, and the silk hanging to tie +on the wings--second fly). + +The first fly, which we made above, is now no other in appearance than +the third fly at the bottom of the plate, which shows hook, body, and +tinsel. We now come to the most critical part of tying on the gaudy +wings firmly, (see mixed gaudy wing ready to tie on). You take a +neck-feather of the golden pheasant with a piece of silver pheasant +tail, a piece of peacock wing, a teal feather, and a piece of wood-duck, +&c., lay them all evenly together, and break the fibres between your +nails, when you tie them on the hook to make the whole small, as you may +see done at the root of the wing in the plate; take another golden +pheasant neck feather, and prepare it exactly like the last, that the +wing may be the same at each side when tied on; you now take hold of the +fly in the left, the fibres of the hackle remaining under your finger +and thumb, cut away the bit of tinsel and hackle-stem first, take the +wing in your right, and lay it on the best side next you, and hold it +tight with the left finger and thumb nails; give two laps of the silk +over it, press it down tightly with the thumb nail, and take another +turn of the silk, place the third finger against it to keep it on, till +you lay on the off side wing; take it up as you did the other, and tie +it down at the small part of the end, on the off side, hold it tight +between the left finger and thumb, pressing it at the same time well +down with the thumb nail of the right, take two rolls of the silk firmly +over it, hold on manfully with the left, and give it another nail or two +with the right thumb, make a running knot, lay it down awhile to rest +your fingers; clip off the roots left hanging or projecting at the head +closely (be careful always to leave enough of the hook bare to receive +the wings, or you cannot manage it easily), now take two or three turns +more over the head to make it tighter and even, leaving a little bit of +the point to stand out; you then take a strip of macaw, and tie it on +each side, clip off the ends, take an ostrich harl and tie it on about +the centre of the head, and roll it over from you two or three times, +the downy part of the stem next the loop to keep it all the one way, and +when up to the root of the wings, take the silk which hangs here lap it +twice over, and give a running knot; clip off the silk and end of the +harl, lay on a little varnish very lightly at the point, and where the +silk has been just tied down, keep the varnish off the ostrich harl; you +may take a little pig hair, and twist it round the silk, roll it over +the head very sparingly, and finish at the root of the wings in the same +manner, laying on a little varnish. + +[Illustration: The plate of Feathers] + +I will here repeat the tying on of the gaudy wing, with two or three +fibres of various sorts of feathers, &c., which may be a little more +easy to accomplish than the foregoing to the young beginner. + +When you have the tail, tinsel, and hackle put together on the hook, and +the eighth of an inch of the shank left bare to receive the wings; +wax the silk well that it may make the head firm, and proceed +thus.--First strip off two fibres of the peacock's wing feather, and +place them with three or four fibres of brown mallard, and the same +quantity of spotted turkey tail, add to it a piece of neck and tail +feather of the golden pheasant, with a little guinea hen, teal, and red +macaw feather, yellow, orange, and blue. Keep these all even together, +and break them at the roots like the gaudy wing in the last plate, and +divide them in equal parts; now having mixed both your wings alike, take +up one wing in your right fore-finger and thumb nails and hold it +tightly, take up your fly with the left hand, and with the right hand +place the wing on at the off side, laying it under the fore-finger of +the left hand, and with the right hand give two turns of the tying silk +over it, at the same time holding on tight between the nails of the left +hand, and press it down with the thumb nail of the right, which keeps +the head firm; then in like manner take up the other wing and place it +on the near side, keep the wings the same length, and to extend two +eighths of an inch longer than the bend of the hook, having taken two +laps over the near side wing, cut off the root ends at the head closely, +holding tight with the left-hand nails, and press both wings down +tightly with the right thumb nail; wax the silk well here, and lap it +over the part where you cut off the ends evenly; bring the silk down on +the gut and give three or four rolls of it just below the point of the +shank to guard it from friction when throwing the fly; bring the silk up +again close to the root of the wings, and tie on a fibre of blue and +yellow macaw tail feather for horns, let them be the eighth of an inch +longer than the wings, clip off the ends; take a jay feather and prepare +it, tie it on at the off side of the head with the bare side next the +belly of the fly, roll it with the right hand over the head, about three +turns, and lap the silk over it while under the nail of the left; cut +off the stem, lay on a blue kingfisher feather each side, tie on a black +ostrich harl, give three or four rolls of it over the head, letting the +stem be next to the root of the wings as you roll it, take it under the +nail of the left thumb, and lap two turns of the silk over it close to +the root of the wings, and with the finger and thumb press up the +fibres of the ostrich towards the wings, to make it stand even in its +proper place; cut off the silk, and lay on a little varnish at the point +of the head, and your fly is completed. + +As it is my intention to instruct the reader in every point necessary +for his benefit, according to my own knowledge and experience, +throughout the pages of this book, it affords me much pleasure to be +enabled to do so, and to offer something to the fly-fisher worth having, +there is scarcely a page he opens that he will not find something +valuable to himself, if he is a real lover of the art. "There is a +pleasure in angling that no one knows but the angler himself." + +I will now show how the India-rubber Green Drake is made, with a +cock-tail, like the beautiful engraving in the plate, (see Green Drake). +The Grouse, and Golden Plover hackle may also be made in a similar +manner, to suit fine evenings in the summer, without the tail. + +To compose the fly, take a piece of gold tinsel, and cut a long strip of +light india-rubber very thin, hackle, wings, tail, and all laid down +ready,--tie the gut on the top of the hook, to project about +three-sixteenths of an inch below the bend, or tie the gut underneath in +the usual way, and lay a piece of gut on the top somewhat thicker, to +work the tail upon, (see the tail in the engraving,--look often at the +flies to refresh the memory); take three hairs of the mane of a black +horse, and tie them on the end of the piece of gut, about an inch in +length, let the silk be fine and well waxed, then tie in the end of the +gold tinsel, and the finest end of the piece of india-rubber at the +tail, that the thick end may be towards the shoulder to make it taper; +after the body is made very even with a little yellow floss silk, hold +the fly by the shank in the left hand, with the nails in close contact +with each other, and roll the tinsel closely up, shifting your hand; +this fastened down with the tying silk, take hold of the india-rubber in +the right, and the extreme end of the gut tail in your left nails; warm +the rubber a little in the fingers to soften it, draw it out to its full +extent, and roll it over the end of the gut, and at every roll keep the +third finger of the left hand tight against it to prevent it starting, +move the nails up the hook as you proceed with the rubber to the +shoulder; give two laps of the tying silk over it, and a running knot. +The body now formed, take a very light brown grouse hackle (see the +grouse hackle prepared in the plate of Feathers,--the partridge and the +plover hackles are prepared in the same way, and all feathers of this +shape for the throat, you may either draw them back at the end, or cut +them like the wren tail feather), and tie it on at the shoulder, roll it +about three times over on its back, keeping the fibres down towards the +left under the fingers, tie the stem with a running knot, and do not +give too many laps of the tying silk at the head to make it bulky, for +it occasions the wings to turn round on the hook, as then there is no +foundation for them, but when they are tied hard on the hook, they sit +firm--you can not wing it neatly otherwise; to prevent a vacancy at the +shoulder, lay on a little yellow-green mohair to fill it up, and roll +the hackle over it, you may now guard the gut with the silk before you +tie on the wings, do not allow the body of the fly to come too close up +to the head, or as I said before, you cannot tie on the wings properly. +Now take the dyed mallard feather for the wings, strip two pieces off, +and lay them together for one wing, and two pieces for the other wing +in like manner; hold the body by the left close to the head, and lay on +the off side wing first, hold it tight under the nails of the left, and +take a turn or two of the silk tightly over it, take up the other wing +and lay it on, catching it under the nails of the left, taking two turns +more over it in the same way, and press it tight down with the nails of +the right thumb, give another turn or two of the silk, press back the +roots of the wings with the thumb nail of the right, cut them close off, +roll the silk evenly over it, and give two knots, now take a peacock's +harl, tie it in by the root end, and roll it over the head two or three +times towards the wing, and tie it firmly here with two knots of the +tying silk, cut off silk and harl, lay on a little varnish, and your fly +is completed; press up the head to make it look even, cut off all +superfluous fibres that may stand uneven, so that all will appear like +the plate. + +There is another excellent way of making a body:--thus, take a piece or +length of very flat gut, and soak it well in hot water till it becomes +soft, tie it in at the end of the tail as you did the india-rubber, +form a body nicely tapered of straw, roll some white floss silk over it +at intervals, roll the soft gut closely over it to the head and tie it +fast; then put a small partridge hackle round the throat, and wing it +the same as before. Before you lay on the straw, cut it taper to suit +the size of hook you are using, gold-beater's skin rolled over flat gold +tinsel is also good. + +I will here teach the making of the beautiful WINGED LARVA, specimens of +which are shown in the plate with the May Fly. There is nothing can +exceed the beauty of these flies, and as artificial specimens for +killing fish during easterly winds they are invaluable. + +It was in a strong east wind which lasted some weeks, five or six years +ago, that I had such great success with this sort of fly in the river +Tweed; grilse, sea-trout, and river-trout took it greedily. The two +engravings in the plate of these flies are very beautiful. It would be a +general killer in heavy running rivers under trees, or in rapid +streams. + +[Illustration: TO MAKE THE WINGED LARVA.] + + + + +TO MAKE THE WINGED LARVA. + + +Tie on the hook and gut as before (say a hook about No. 8) and form a +brown body of mohair on it, wing the fly with a portion of hen pheasant +tail feather and woodcock wing; having the yellow brown body formed on +the hook, and the wings ready to tie on, take a piece of the shrivelled +larva you will find attached to the ends of the lengths of salmon gut, +choose those that are nice and taper, and at the fine end tie on two +fibres of golden pheasant neck feather for tail, clip off the end of the +gut, lay on a little varnish at the end of the tail to keep it from +coming off; now tie on the larva close to the shoulder, cut off the end +of the gut, lay on a little varnish there, take some mohair of the same +colour as the body, and roll it over the throat to cover the tying, +leaving at the same time enough of the hook to receive the wings, you +then take a light brown grouse hackle, off the neck of the bird, and +roll it twice round the shoulder for the legs, or a woodcock feather, to +be found at the root of the wings, outside, the latter I think is +best. Now tie the wings on a little longer than the bend of the hook, +clip off the ends at the head, and form a head with a piece of peacock +harl, of a bronze colour as usual, fasten with the silk, and cut off all +the superfluities. It would be well to draw out a little of the mohair +at the shoulder to hang over the larva body, and to flatten the end of +the gut a little where you tie on the tail, which keeps it on. Tie the +larva at the side, so as it may appear like a double body to the fish in +the water. It may be made by tying on the wings first, and let them +remain until the body, the larva, and the hackle, are all tied in their +proper places, and then turn back the wings over the body with your +thumb nail, and tie them firmly down with the silk, taking two laps over +the roots, and finish with two knots on the end of the shank immediately +above the head. + +Do not neglect to tie in the larva tightly below the wings at the +shoulder, to prevent it drawing out from the mohair body. You must hold +on tight and press it well down with the nail of the right thumb, as you +do the wings when tying them on last. It is best to look at the larvas +engraved in the plate occasionally, to give you an idea how it is done. +When the wings are turned up last, and a head formed of the root of them +with the tying silk, you next roll on a piece of brown peacock harl at +the root of the wings, a harl with long pile or fibres is best, as you +can press it up with your fingers to hang over the root of the wings. + +The great nicety in making this fly to look well is, in tying on the two +fibres of the golden pheasant feathers at the tail with fine silk, and +the tying on of the larva itself at the shoulder of the fly, and then +covering the silk that appeared bare with a little mohair twisted round +the tying silk, and then rolled over it; it is over this bit of mohair +the hackle should be rolled, and secured with two knots. + +The wing of the small larva in the plate is tied on last, and a most +curious and killing looking fly it is; the other one does best in deep +water, or for grilse or sea-trout in July and August, particularly in +the latter month. + +The Salmon Fly, No. 11, in the centre of the plate, with the larvas, is +a capital specimen for the light streams north of the Tweed, and would +kill well in that splendid river at low water in summer, particularly +at the "Throughs," three miles above the town of Kelso. + +The above fly I will describe hereafter, with the other engravings in +the plates. + +To proceed regularly with the various methods of Fly Making, before +touching on another subject, will be much more convenient to the tyro as +he proceeds, so I will finish this branch of an "Angler's Education" +with a Catechism, which will be found instructive and very curious to +the beginner. It is accompanied with a copper-plate engraving of six +flies, showing the whole process to the eye, which cannot fail to give a +lasting idea to the fly maker who will properly study it. + +In this last process, the reader should lay out every thing necessary +for making a single fly in a piece of folded paper, so that he can look +at the various articles as he rehearses them over in the book,--this +will keep them more strongly in his mind. + +Have each article to suit the size of the hook exactly, that when the +fly is completed, it will appear in strict proportion: for instance, the +hackle should be chosen small to suit the legs of the trout fly, and the +large flies to have hackles off the saddle of the cock, that are old +and stiff, to withstand the motion of the water; and fine silk, both +floss and tying for the bodies of the small flies, and every thing in +unison, as you read in the book; handling every thing sparingly, +delicately, and nicely in the fingers. There is a good deal of the +"battle fought" by letting the nails grow to a pretty fair length so as +to hold on grimly. + + + + +A CATECHISM OF FLY-MAKING, + +BY WILLIAM BLACKER + + +_Question._--What do you mean by Fly-making? + +_Answer._--I mean the artificial assimilation of those beautiful insects +that appear on brooks and rivers during the summer season. + +_Q._--What are these artificial flies used for in general? + +_A._--They are principally used to afford gentlemen rural amusement and +recreation, by their taking both trout and salmon with the rod, line, +and fly. + +_Q._--Name the different materials requisite for making the Artificial +Fly. + +[Illustration: _To make the Trout-fly as taught in the_ CATHECHISM.] + +_A._--The necessary materials for making the Artificial Fly are as +follows:--various kinds of feathers, furs, mohair, pig hair, dyed +hackles, silks, tinsel, &c., &c. + +_Q._--When the tyro has all the materials prepared, and seated at the +table, how does he commence to make the fly? + +_A._--First, the hook is firmly tied on the gut, and one eighth of an +inch of the end of the shank left bare to receive the wings (see plate, +hook, gut, and tail, tied on). + +_Q._--How are the wings tied on? + +_A._--They may be tied on the reverse way first, at the extreme end of +the shank, and after the tail, body, and legs are formed, turn up the +wings, divide and tie them down, and form the head. + +_Q._--Is there any other way of placing on the wings of a trout fly? + +_A._--Yes, by forming the tail, body, and legs first, and tie on the +wings last. + +_Q._--Having the wings the reverse way, to appear in strict proportion +over the fly when turned, what is the next part to be performed? + +_A._--Next, I take hold of the shank opposite the barb in my left, and +here tie on a short piece of tinsel for the tip, roll it over two or +three times evenly, and secure it with a running knot, immediately above +this tie on the tail. + +_Q._--When the wings are tied on reversed, the tip and tail secured, how +do you form the body? + +_A._--I take hold of the hook in my left hand close to the tail, and +with my right draw out a small quantity of mohair, twist it round the +tying silk close to the hook, draw it gradually full under the fingers +to taper it, I then roll it closely over the shank to the root of the +wings and fasten it. Leave a vacancy to receive the hackle if rolled on +at the shoulder. + +_Q._--If there is not sufficient mohair twisted on the silk to form the +whole body, what must be done? + +_A._--When the mohair on the silk becomes short, I tie it down on the +centre of the shank, and tie in the point of the hackle here (see the +second and third flies in the plate of this process), and apply a little +more stuff to fill the shoulder, leaving a little of the hook to receive +the wings. + +_Q._--Having tied the hackle on towards the shoulder of the fly, how do +you strike it in its proper place? + +_A._--I hold the hook in my left hand by the bend, and with the right +take hold of the stem of the hackle and roll it round the shank on its +back, and tie it down (the fly may be ribbed and hackled from the tail +like the fourth fly in the plate). + +_Q._--The hackle, body, tail, and tinsel now neatly tied, how do you tie +on the wings? + +_A._--I now hold the fly in my left hand by the body, drawing the fibres +underneath my finger and thumb out of the way, lay on the wings double, +catch them under the nails of the left and give two laps of the tying +silk over them, press them down at this place with the right nail divide +and let the fibres of the hackle spring up between them, cut off the +roots, lap the silk closely over the head and fasten with two knots (see +the cock tail at the bottom of this plate). + + _Note._--The wings of this fly were tied on first, + as seen, and turned up last; the fuller the fly is + at the shoulder the more the wings will stand + upright on the back, and it often occurs that + when the wings of the fly lie flat on the back, + and it happens to be an end fly on the casting + line, which is usually under the surface of the + water, that the fish takes it for a drowned fly + eagerly, and the wings much longer than the bend + of the hook, this is not unnatural, as the wings + of numbers of the brown and olive flies seen on + the water have their wings much longer than the + body, and when not on the wing lie flat on their + backs. + +I will here give a more easy way of making a Trout fly. + +_Q._--How do you commence to make the Fly in this way? + +_A._--I tie on the wings first, turn them up, tie down the head, and +finish the fly at the tail. + +_Q._--When the wings are tied on first, and turned before you commence +the body and legs, how do you proceed? + +_A._--I take a small hackle to suit the size of the hook, strip off the +flue, and tie it on by the root at the head, and a piece of tinsel to +rib the body. + +_Q._--Having tied on the hackle thus, what is the next thing to be +done? + +_A._--I draw out a little mohair, twist it tightly round the tying silk, +roll it down to the tail and fasten it, and roll the tinsel over in like +manner. + +_Q._--The body and tinsel being formed, how is the hackle struck on? + +_A._--I take hold of the hackle in my right hand with either my fingers +or pliers, and roll it over the body to the tail, fasten and cut off the +ends, tie in a tail and the fly is complete. This is the style of the +fifth fly in the plate. + +_Q._--When a fly is to be made in the above way without wings, called a +hackle fly, how is it done? + +_A._--Having previously tied, I take two hackles of equal size, lay them +even together, and tie them on by the roots at the end of the shank, and +then the piece of tinsel to rib it. + +_Q._--How do you form the body and tinsel after tying on the hackles? + +_A._--I twist a very small quantity of mohair round the silk and roll it +to the tail, or a peacock's harl, and fasten it there, over this I roll +the tinsel. + +_Q._--As the hackles are a nice point to perform, how are they struck? + +_A._--I take hold of the hackles with the pliers at the points, both to +stand the one way, give two rolls round the shoulder to make it full, +and proceed with them slantingly on their backs to the tail, let the +pliers hang with them and roll the tying silk twice over them, cut off +the superfluous fibres of the hackles, take two running knots, and lay +on a little varnish to harden the tying, press down the hackles with the +fingers to slope them towards the tail, and the fly is completed. + +_Q._--When you wish to make a larger Salmon Fly, how do you undertake +it? + +_A._--I tie on the hook and gut firmly together, as in Plate I, ON +SALMON HOOKS, take hold of it by the shank opposite the barb, roll on a +piece of broad tinsel to tip it, tie on a topping for tail, with a black +ostrich tag. + +_Q._--Having gone thus far, how do you manage the pig hair body? + +_A._--Having laid before me two or three colours of pig hair, I roll a +piece of fine floss silk on first next the tail, I then twist a piece of +pig hair on the silk, roll it up towards the head, shifting up a little +and tie, take another piece of hair, and another, and do in like manner +(see the pig hair body of No. 2, ON SALMON HOOKS). + +_Q._--How is the hackle struck on over the body? + +_A._-Having held the fly by the shank to form the body, I now turn it +and hold it by the bend, the hackle and tinsel previously tied in, as in +Plate II, ON SALMON HOOKS, I roll the tinsel up first and the hackle +next in rotation with it; Plate V. will show the tinsel rolled over the +floss silk body, and the hackle ready to roll on. + +_Q._--Having rolled on the hackle, and turned a jay hackle over the +shoulder, how do you proceed with the wing? + +_A._--I take two golden pheasant neck feathers and tie them on tightly +first, then sprig them at each side with various fibres of feathers (see +the wing in the plate prepared). + +_Q._--How do you cover the lump occasioned by the quantity of tying silk +at the head? + +_A._--I draw out a small quantity of pig hair, twist it on the tying +silk, and roll it over two or three times towards the root of the wings +tightly, give three knots, lay on a little varnish, cut off the silk, +and the fly is finished. + +_Note._--If you make a pike fly, use large double hooks and gymp, with +broad tinsel, and make the body full with pig hair, large saddlecock +hackles for legs, wing them with peacock moon feathers, and add two +large blue beads over spangles for eyes, and green or red pig hair +towards the head. Fasten on the beads with fine copper wire, rolling it +over the head two or three times, and also three times through the eyes, +and tie down the wire tightly with the silk; roll the pig hair round the +silk and then over the head and between the beads, fasten it with three +knots, and lay on the varnish. + +These large artificial flies kill pike or jack best on windy days with +rain; they will not rise at the fly on fine days, except there is a +strong ripple on the water. You humour the fly on the surface as you +would move a salmon one, using a strong rod, reel, and line. If he is a +large fish, he will rush off with the fly when hooked; but, if a small +one, lift him out when he makes a double quick shake on the top of the +water. I would advise the fisher to strike a jack quickly, for he often +throws the fly out of his mouth when he finds the deception. + + + + +THE TROUT FLIES FOR THE SEASON. + + +I will now give a description of those flies which will be found most +killing, as they are imitations of the natural ones that appear in each +month, so that the fly-fisher may practice with them to very great +advantage. + +The numbers of each correspond with the engravings in the plates of the +catalogue of flies. + +THE TROUT is a game and sportive fish, and affords much amusement to the +fly-fishers, as well as being generally esteemed the best of our +fresh-water fishes for the table. The spawning time of the trout is much +the same as that of the salmon, about October and November, and their +haunts very similar; they fix upon some gravelly bottom to deposit their +spawn, in either river or lake, and are never good when big with roe. +After they have spawned they become lean and wasted, and their beautiful +spots disappear; in this state they retire to the deep and still parts +of the river during the winter months. As soon as the weather becomes +open in February, they begin to leave the deeps and approach the rapid +streams, where they soon obtain vigour for the summer sport. They +delight in sandy and rocky beds and pools, into which sharp and swift +streams run, and under shady banks, behind large stones and in eddies; +in streams where there are sedges and weeds in the spring of the year. +In the summer months they get strange, and haunt the deepest parts of +swift running streams; they are found also at the upper ends of +mill-pools and weirs, under bridges, and in the return of streams where +the water boils in deep places. At the decline of the year they resort +to the tails of streams and deep water. + +They are in season from February till the end of September. + +These few suggestions may benefit the young angler by giving him an idea +of knowing where to cast his flies for them. + +[Illustration: Plate of 15 Trout-flies.] + + + + +FLIES FOR MARCH. + + +No. 1. THE MARCH BROWN.--The body is made of light brown mohair, mixed +with a little fur of the hare's neck, and a little yellow mohair, ribbed +with yellow silk; a small brown partridge hackle for legs (this feather +is found on the back of the partridge), hen pheasant wing feather for +the wings, and two fibres of the same bird's tail feather for the tail +of the fly. No. 8 hook. This fly is well taken by the trout, and +continues good till the end of April. The following flies appear before +the March brown, but it being a great favorite, I have given it first. + +No. 2. THE EARLY DARK DUN.--The body is made of water-rat's fur, mixed +with a little red mohair, the red more towards the head, an iron-blue +dun hackle for legs, and the wings of water-hen or water-rail wing. No. +9 hook. + +There is another variety or two of this fly that kill well in February +and March, which are as follows: A black red hackle, with the above +wings and body; a mallard wing, and the above body; a peacock harl +body, a soot-coloured dun hackle, and a tip of gold. No. 10 hook. + +There is a small fly, which I term the "heath fly," which is an +excellent one in this month, and is made thus: The body is made of the +fine fur of the belly of the hedgehog, or rat back fur (common rat), +mixed with red squirrel fur, and a little orange mohair, rolled on thin +and taper; a small silver grey hackle for legs, and winged with the grey +tail feather of the partridge. A grey mallard and red squirrel fur makes +another good fly. No. 10 hook. + +No. 3. THE LITTLE BLUE DUN.--The body is made of mole's fur, slightly +mixed with bright yellow mohair, a light blue dun hackle for legs, and +starling wings. No. 12 hook. This delicate little fly appears on cold +days in March, and is well taken by the trout from ten till four in the +evening, with the little red dun. + +No. 4. THE ORANGE DUN.--The body is made of orange and hare's fur, a +honey dun hackle for legs, and grey mallard wings. No. 10 hook. Good on +windy days in this month and the next. There should be but little +hackle used on small flies in the early season, as the fur is sufficient +or nearly so. + +No. 5. THE MARLOW BUZZ.--The body is made of peacock harl, a dun hackle +over it from the tail, and two dark red ones round the shoulder, rib of +silver. This fly does best where there are large trees growing over the +river banks. + +No. 6. THE BROWN HACKLE.--The body is made of yellow brown mohair, a +little orange fox fur, and two short fibred brown-red hackles rolled +from the tail over the body, and ribbed with gold wire for evening +fishing. It will be found a good one for large trout in river or lake, +winged with hen pheasant tail, and forked with two fibres of the same +feather, hook No. 10 for the small fly, and No. 6 for the larger size. + +There is also a small red fly comes on in this month, very killing; the +body is made of red squirrel's fur, a turn of a red hackle round the +throat, and grey mallard wings mixed with partridge; hook No. 8. + + + + +FLIES FOR APRIL. + + +No. 7. THE SOLDIER FLY.--The body is made of scarlet-colored mohair, +ribbed with fine gold twist, and two black-red cock hackles run up over +the body from the tail, (it is made also with orange floss silk body, +ribbed with black silk), a small furnace hackle round the throat and a +darkish starling wing. The dark red furnace hackle has a dark mark round +the edges. + +It may also be made to advantage with peacock harl and black-red hackles +over it, and tipped with gold. The latter way makes it the "cochybonddu" +of Wales. It kills best on windy days in general, with the cow-dung fly, +and partridge hackle. + +No. 8. THE CUCKOO HACKLE.--The body is made of peacock's harl, and two +dark dun hackles, with darkish bars across them, rolled up to the +throat; give it a tag of yellow green silk, at the end of the tail, +silver. + +The Granam fly may be made thus:--The wings are made of hen pheasant +wing feather, hare's ear fur for body, and a grizzled cock hackle for +legs. It is a four-winged fly, and when it flutters on the water it is +very much like the engraving in the plate; but when it sails down the +surface, the wings lie flat on its back, and as soon as it touches the +water it drops its eggs; the trout take it freely for about a week in +this month, with the gravel or spider fly,--dun body, black hackle, and +woodcock wings; some use lead-coloured body. + +No. 9. THE BLACK PALMER, OR HACKLE.--The body is made of yellow floss +silk, ribbed with silver tinsel, and two short fibred black hackles +struck on from the tail to the shoulder. Hook No. 8.--Vary the body of +this fly with peacock harl without the silver, and it will be a capital +one for light clear water on No. 12 hook. Use the cow-dung fly on windy +days, with the above-named one. + +No. 10. THE DUN FOX FLY.--The body is made of the fur found on the neck +of the fox next the skin, mixed with golden yellow mohair. The wings are +the wing feather of the starling or fieldfare, with two fibres of a +stiff honey dun cock hackle for tail; pick out the fur a little at the +shoulder for legs; hook No. 12. Never was there a better little fly +than this thrown on the water, it will kill fish any day in the year. +Put on the little black hackle, with peacock harl body with it as a drop +fly; and when the dun fox is used as a drop fly, put on the March brown +as a stretcher. There may be seen three shades of this fly on the water +at the same time occasionally; the other two shades are the ash and blue +fox,--the first is a very light dun colour of the fox cub's neck or +face, the other is of a darker blue shade; they are great favorites with +the trout, artificially; in mild weather throughout the summer, a small +wren and grouse hackle may be used with them, the bodies made very thin +and taper, and rather full at the shoulder--the wren with orange mohair +body, and the grouse with golden yellow floss silk body. + +No. 11. THE DUN DRAKE.--The body is made of golden olive mohair, mixed +with hare's ear fur, the light and dark, and forked with two short +fibres of brown mallard. The wings are made of land-rail wing, and a +little brown mallard, mixed nicely together. Hook, No. 9. There is a +dark red, and a dark dun fly on the water at the same time as the +dun-drake, all of which will be found good ones till the end of May. +The Irish name for the dun drake, is "Coughlan,"[A] made thus:--The +wings, grey partridge tail; the body, light brown bear's fur, with +bright yellow mohair, hare's fur from the face, mixed altogether, forked +with two stripes of a dark mallard's feather, and a partridge hackle. +No. 8 hook. In Ireland they consider this the most useful fly they have +in April and May, as a stretcher, used with the little dun fox, and +black-red, (soldier fly). + +No. 12. THE STONE FLY.--The body is made of brown mohair ribbed with +yellow silk, a tuft or tag of yellow mohair or silk at the tail, and a +little yellow mohair worked in under the shoulder, over which roll the +hackle, which should be of a brown-red colour; the wings are made of the +hen pheasant tail mixed with copper brown mallard, made full, and larger +than the body. No. 6 hook. If this fly is made of good colours, as above +described, hardly any large trout, in humour of taking, can well refuse +it. An odd one of them may be seen in March, when the weather is mild; +but in April and May, when it becomes more congenial to them, they +appear numerous towards the evening. Ribbed with gold twist, it makes a +famous grilse fly. + +No. 13. THE YELLOW SALLY.--The body is made of buff-colored fur, and a +small yellow hackle for legs round the head; the wings are made of the +buff-coloured feather inside the wing of the thrush. No. 13 hook. This +is the forerunner of the Green Drake or May fly. The trout take this +little fly freely, and it is a most excellent killer on fine days, if +made according to the description. It will be found on the water till +the end of May. The partridge hackle is also good in this month. + +[Illustration: Plate of 16 Flies] + +FOOTNOTE: + +[Footnote A: "Taylor's Angler."] + + + + +FLIES FOR MAY. + + +No. 14. THE BLACK GNAT.--The body is made of black hair from the +spaniel's ear which is fine and soft, or a black ostrich feather clipped +very close, and a small black hackle for legs; the wings are from the +starling's wing feather. No. 13 hook. This is a good fly throughout a +clear day, used as a dropper with the foregoing fly, and wren tail. + +It floats on the surface of the water in numbers on sultry days with +mild showers of rain. It may be varied to advantage with blue silk body. + +No. 15. THE LITTLE BROWN MIDGE.--The body is made of brown mohair with a +shade of orange mohair at the shoulder, two turns of a small brown-red +hackle for legs; the wings are made of brown mallard and a little strip +of land-rail mixed. No. 13 hook, snick bend. + +There appears to be a variety of small flies on the water with the above +fly about the middle of the day, dark browns, pea-greens, and dun flies, +all water insects, which the trout take very freely. + +No. 16. THE LITTLE IRON BLUE.--The body is made of a little light +coloured water-rat's fur mixed with a few hairs of yellow, an iron blue +coloured dun hackle for legs, and the wings from a blue dun feather to +be found underneath the wing of a dun hen, or starling wing feather, +tail it with a dun hackle, two fibres. No. 10 hook. It sails upright on +its legs on the water, with both tail and wings cocked up, so that it +would suit best as a bob fly. It will be found a useful fly throughout +the season, varied a little in shade according to the weather, the +darker ones on fine clear days. + +The Coachman, Oral, and the Governor flies will be found good ones in +this month towards night, when the beautiful White Moth may be also +seen. + +No. 17. HARE'S EAR AND YELLOW.--The body is made of the light part of +the fur from the hare's ear, ribbed with yellow silk; the wings are from +the wing of the starling or fieldfare, and two stiff fibres of honey dun +cock's hackle, from the rump for tail, to cock up, pick out the fur at +the head for legs, No. 12 hook. It will kill fish every day in this +month, and will be found good till the end of July. It may be also +called the Little Cocktail. + +No. 18. THE GREEN DRAKE.--The body of this beautiful fly is made of +yellow green mohair, the color of a gosling newly come out of the shell, +and ribbed with yellow-brown silk, a shade of light brown mohair at the +tail, and a tuft of the same color at the shoulder, picked out between +the hackle, the whisks of the tail to be of three black hairs of the +mane of a horse, about three-quarters of an inch long; the hackle to be +a greenish buff dyed, (dye a silver dun hackle with bars across it +called a cuckoo), or a light ginger hackle bordering on a yellow. The +wings, which should be made full, and to stand upright, are made of dyed +mallard feathers of a greenish buff, or yellowish shade: a brown head of +peacock harl tied neatly above the wings, No. 6 hook. The wings may be +made of the ends of two large dyed mallard feathers, with each side +stripped off, and the beautiful long ends to form the wings, tie them on +whole back to back, a little longer than the bend of the hook--these +feathers stand up well and appear very natural in the water; large size +ones kill well in lakes, with bright yellow mohair bodies and gold twist +rolled up them; a long honey dun palmer kills well on windy days, +allowed to sink near the bottom, ribbed with gold twist (see the palmer +in the plate with double hook). The trout take it no doubt for the +Creeper or "Cad Bait;" a very small swivel tied on at the head, would +improve its life-like appearance in the water as you move it with the +rod; and the larger size one would also do better with a swivel. + +No. 19.--THE GREY DRAKE.--The body is made of pale yellow mohair, or +floss, three fibres of dark mallard for tail, ribbed with brown silk, a +grizzled dun-cock's hackle for legs, or silver grey; grey mallard for +wings, and a peacock harl head. + +The body should be made taper, and full at the head, it is a capital fly +on rough days in May and June, and used to advantage on warm evenings. +The body may be also made of dun fox fur, grey at the ends, a silver +grey hackle for legs, and forked with three hairs from a fitch's tail; +the wings grey mallard and widgeon mixed. It is also made of straw body, +grey cock's hackle, and mallard wings--these two methods are very good. +They kill well in Scotland, and in Ireland are called the "Grey +Cochlan." These flies may be seen in "Taylor's Angler." + +Mr. Taylor was an angler of no small pretensions, he was very fond of +the Irish coloured flies, and has adopted many of them as standards for +Scotland, England, and many rivers in Wales. + + + + +FLIES FOR JUNE. + + +No. 20.--THE GREAT RED SPINNER.--The body is made of red mohair, ribbed +with fine gold wire, and a red cock hackle for legs; the wings are made +of brown and grey mallard, the grey underneath; two fibres of stiff +cock's saddle hackle for tail, No. 6 or 7 hook. The Small Red Spinner is +made as the above, but instead of mallard use starling wings. It is an +excellent fly for a dark evening in June and July, with the furnace +hackle. + +No. 21.--THE ALDER FLY.--The body is made of brown coloured peacock +harl, a black-red cock hackle for legs, the wings are made of hen +pheasant tail feathers, hook No 6. There is another way or two of making +this fly which cannot be beaten, they are mostly used in Ireland, and +are known to be killers in England and Scotland. The body is made of +bronze brown mohair, a very small brown grouse hackle round the head, +and the wings from a brown spotted hen's wing, No. 8 hook. The other is +made with grey and red partridge tail mixed for wings, a copper brown +peacock harl body, and a dark brown red hackle off a cock's neck for +legs. The legs may be also made of the wren's tail or woodcock hackle, +this feather is found on the roots of the outside of the wings of the +woodcock. These are good flies in lakes or rivers for large trout--rib +with gold for lakes. + +No. 22.--THE SAND FLY.--The body is made of the sandy coloured fur from +the hare's pole, mixed with orange mohair, and a small ginger coloured +cock's hackle for legs; the wings are made of a sandy coloured brown +hen's wing, No. 10 hook. An excellent little fly on fine days with a +little wind and occasional showers. + +There is another little fly that will be found equally good, made +thus:--the wings are made of red and grey partridge tail feathers, +orange body, and black-red hackle rolled up from the tail to the head, +it will kill well on dark days, ribbed with gold, No. 8 hook. + +No. 23.--THE WHITE MOTH.--The body is made of white mohair, which is +lively ribbed with orange floss, a white cock's hackle rolled round the +shoulder; the wings from a white feather of the swan that grows over +the back. It may be varied with cream coloured mohair, very light ginger +hackle, and a buff wing from a hen of that colour; and a browner one may +be made from a matted brown hen's wing, or light brown grouse tail, or +large hackle off the rump of the same bird, brown-red cock's hackle, the +whole to be made full, of good coloured and stiff materials, that they +may not absorb the water, and alight heavy when thrown on the surface. + +No. 24. THE OAK FLY.--The body is made of orange silk, and a little +hare's ear fur under the shoulder, rib it with a furnace hackle from the +centre of the body up (if the hackles are tied on at the tail they are +very apt to get cut with the teeth of the fish in a very short time). +The wings may be made from the mottled brown hen, or the woodcock wings, +of a red tinge. No. 8 hook. This fly cannot be too highly valued for its +killing qualities. It will be found useful for large trout of a windy +day with a grey cloud over head, and not likely to rain. "Mr. Bowlker," +in his "Art of Angling," mentions the oak fly in this manner: "The oak, +ash, woodcock, cannon, or down-hill fly, comes on about the sixteenth of +May, and continues on till about a week in June; it is to be found on +the butts of trees, with its head always downwards, which gives it the +name of the down-hill fly. It is bred in oak-apples, and is the best of +all flies for bobbing at the bush in the natural way, and a good fly for +the dab-line, when made artificially." The wings are made from a feather +out of the wing of the partridge or woodcock, the body with a bittern's +feather, and the head with a little of the brown part of hare's fur. The +hook, No. 6. Some dub it with an orange, tawny, and black ground, and +with blackish wool and gold twist; the wings off the brown part of a +mallard's feather. + + + + +FLIES FOR JULY. + + +No. 25.--THE GREAT WHIRLING DUN.--The body is made of water-rat's fur, +mixed with yellow mohair, and ribbed with yellow silk; a reddish blue +dun hackle for legs; grey mallard wings, or starling--try both. No. 8 +hook. There are two or three varieties of this fly, which make their +appearance in this month, and are very killing on fine, mild days, with +occasional showers; their colours run from a dark to a light sky-blue. + +"Mr. Bowlker," in his "Art of Angling," an authority which I like, as he +was himself a fisherman, speaks thus of one of these beautiful flies: +"It comes on about the end of May, and continues till the middle of +July. It is a neat, curious, and beautiful fly; its wings are +transparent, stand upright on its back, and are of a fine blue colour, +its body is of a pale yellow, its tail forked, and the colour of its +wings. It is a fly that the fishes take extremely well from seven +o'clock in the evening till sun-set. The wings are made from the light +blue feather of a hen; the body is made with pale yellow mohair, mixed +with light blue fur, and ribbed with a fine cock's hackle, dyed yellow, +the hook, No. 8." This is taken from "Bowlker's" original work. + +No. 26. THE LITTLE PEACOCK FLY.--The body is made of bright brown +peacock's harl, with a tip of gold at the tail, or gold colour floss +silk; a red hackle for legs, and a starling wing. This little fly comes +on about the middle of July, and continues till the end of August. It +may be used to advantage on fine days, with the blue dun, and cinnamon +brown. I have seen this latter fly on the river "Mole," in August, of a +fine brown colour, and plump in the body, about the size of the Great +Whirling Dun. The body was red brown, the legs an amber brown, the wings +were a mottled light brown, and the tail of the same colour as the +wings. I have seen the above fly some time after on the "Bann," in the +north of Ireland, a river six times the size of the Mole, not half the +size, in August. This circumstance of the difference in size, must be +the nature of the soil through which the rivers flow; the "Bann" is a +gravelly bed, full of large stones, with a very fall strong running +stream; the "Mole" not so. It is my opinion that in the summer months +there is more sport to be had with flies as small as can be made, than +with the general run, except late in the evening, then use a large +fly--a brown, or white moth, where a large fish shows himself. + +No. 27. THE BLUE BLOW.--The body is made of mole's fur mixed with yellow +mohair, run very taper from the tail up; the wings are made of a +tom-tit's tail feather, or water hen; the tail is two hairs of a mouse's +whisker, or fibres of dark dun hackle; the body is picked out a little +at the head to imitate legs; the fly altogether to be made very small +and delicate, hook No. 13. These little flies may be seen on good size +rivers in hundreds, in the summer on sultry days; where there is a stone +projecting out of the water they gather round it, and with the motion +are carried up and down on the side of the stone, where large trout lie, +like ant bears, sucking them in by the dozen; the wing of the water-rail +is capital to imitate that of the fly. There is another excellent +killing fly that may be used with the above, made thus;--body, gold +colour mohair; tip of gold; woodcock or wren hackle for legs; grey +partridge tail for wrings; and two fibres of the same for tail; No. 10 +hook. They are good where the river is low, and are excellent till the +end of August, used with the little brown fly, and ash fox. + +There are also three little flies which are very good in this month and +the next, and although they are not very well known by name, +nevertheless they will be found killing. First, the "Orange Wren," with +orange mohair body, and wren tail hackle. Second, the "Golden Wren," +with golden yellow mohair body, and wren tail hackle for legs. Third, +the "Green Wren," with green floss body, and wren tail for legs. The +Brown Wren, and the little Peacock Wren, are also good. No. 13 hook. The +latter little fly is called the "Shiner." + +No. 28. THE YELLOW DUN.--The body is made of light buff-coloured fur, +white sable far dyed yellow, and a honey dun cock's hackle for legs; two +fibres of the same feather for tail; the wings are made of starling wing +feather. No. 12 hook. This pretty little fly is a great favourite with +the trout in the evenings of sultry days, till the end of August and +September. + + + + +FLIES FOR AUGUST. + + +No. 29. THE RED DUN.--The body is made of red orange hair, over which +roll a small dun hackle; the wings are a dun grey, and are made of +starling wing feather, mixed with a little mallard. No. 10 hook. It may +be varied thus: Red legs and dun body; orange floss body, over which +roll a black hackle, and starling wing. The size of hook to vary from +No. 10 to No. 7. + +This is an excellent fly in rapid streams where there are large trout; +it is so attractive that they cannot refuse it when it moves over them. +Trout that lie or haunt strong streams, are called, in Ireland, +"Hunters." The cause is, no doubt, through their being thin and long in +the body, and are possessed with enormous mouths to take in their prey. +They take small trout freely. + +No. 30. THE ANT FLY.--The body is made of brown floss silk, and a small +fibred peacock harl at tail; a brown red hackle for legs, and wings of +starling feather. No. 10 hook. + +There is a black ant the same size as the above, and a red and black one +much larger; the black one is made of black floss for the body, small +black hackle for legs, and a blackbird's wing for the wings of the fly. +The small ones kill on fine days, and the larger ones when there is a +strong wind, which blows them on the water, and causes a ripple. + +No. 31. THE CAPERER.--The body is made of brown mohair, or floss silk of +a copper colour, and tipped with gold at the tail; a brown red cock's +hackle at the shoulder for legs, and winged with the woodcock wing +feather. No. 8 hook. This fly may be seen on fine sultry days whirling +up and down over the water, and occasionally dipping on the surface; the +trout take them very freely. This fly will be found on the water till +the end of September, with the paler dun, yellow dun, blue dun, and +willow fly. The greyling also like these little flies. + +[Illustration: Plate of Larvas and Green Drakes.] + +THE WINGED LARVA.--The body is made of brown mohair; the larva is +attached to this body at the shoulder, and tailed with two fibres of +golden pheasant neck feather, a woodcock hackle round the shoulder, and +winged with hen pheasant tail, mixed with a little woodcock or partridge +tail feather, and a bronze peacock head. No. 8 hook. It will be found a +good fly on dark windy days in this month and the next, and during the +prevalence of winds from the east; it will do best where a strong rapid +stream runs into a deep pool. + +A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE WINGED LARVA:--The body is made of bright golden +yellow mohair, which looks very transparent; a woodcock wing, and a +hackle off the same bird, with two fibres of golden pheasant neck +feather for tail. No. 8 hook. + +THE WILLOW FLIES.--The body of the first is made of blue squirrel's fur, +mixed with a little yellow mohair; a blue dun cock's hackle round the +shoulder, and a tomtit wing. No. 8 hook. The second fly is made of +orange silk body, ribbed with fine black silk; a very dark furnace +hackle round the head, and blackbird's wing. No. 10 hook. The third fly +is made of the wings or blue feather of the sea-swallow, for the wing of +the fly, and the lightest blue fur that can be got for body (the fine +blue of the fox's neck, next to the skin; the fur of a very young +water-rat, or the lightest blue fur of the squirrel); a light dun cock's +hackle, and a tail of the same. No. 10 hook. These little flies will +kill till the end of October, and are excellent fur greyling. There are +hundreds of other flies that make their appearance on the water through +the summer months, which come under the angler's notice when in pursuit +of his pastime, that may be imitated to advantage, the varieties of +which must fill the mind with admiration. + + + + +FISHING RODS AND FLY FISHING. + + +For a trout rod, to have a good balance from the butt to the extreme +top, it is essentially necessary that the wood should be well-seasoned, +straight in the grain, and free from knots and imperfections. It should +consist of three or four joints, according to fancy. There is not the +least occasion for a rod to be glued up in pieces first, and then cut +into lengths and fitted with ferrules, for then you have the unnecessary +trouble of lapping the splices, but it is best to clean each piece +separately, and measure the exact taper each piece should be to one +another with the ferrules to fit in the same proportion, the least thing +wider at the lower end than at the top; the ends to be bored for the +tongues to fit into tightly to prevent shaking, that when they are +double brazed they may fit air-tight. + +The ends must be bored previous to planing down the substance of the +pieces, and tied round with waxed thread to prevent them from opening or +cracking, so that these pieces may be pushed into each end of the +boring whilst the rod is planed up to its proper substance or size, +except the tops, which should be well glued-up pieces of bamboo cane, +and filed down to their proper sizes to suit the other parts of the rod; +this may be also done by fastening the tongue of the top in the bored +joint next in size. The butt should be made of ash, the middle piece of +hickory, and the top of bamboo, which is the lightest and toughest of +all woods that can be brought to so fine a consistency. The length of +the rod for single-hand fly fishing should be from twelve to thirteen +feet long--a length which may be used with great facility without tiring +the arm. The butt should be easy in the grasp and not a great deal of +timber in it; the next piece to be nearly as stout as the butt above the +ferrule for a foot and a half, this prevents its being weak at that +particular part, which otherwise would cause the rod to be limber in the +middle; the next or fourth piece to be stiffer and lighter in the wood +to keep up the top; the whole rod to stand nearly straight up when held +in the hand, and to have a smart spring above, which assists materially +in getting out the line when throwing. The splices of the tops should +be tightly bound over with the finest silk, well waxed, and over all +three or four coats of good varnish that is not liable to crack. You +cannot bind the splices tight enough with coarse three-cord silk, the +top being so small it cannot be drawn together near so well as with fine +silk, and when the varnish rubs off it opens and admits the water, which +loosens the glued splice inside. The fine waxed silk is to be preferred +by all means, as it lies closer on the wood, becomes harder, and makes +the splice stiffer to work with the other parts. + +When the whole is ringed, ferruled, and fitted for the reel complete, it +should not (a twelve foot) exceed one pound; it will afford great +comfort to the fly fisher in his innocent pursuit, and will not fatigue +him during a long summer day. The reel should be light, in proportion to +the rod, and to contain thirty yards of silk and hair line made fine and +taper, and when the rod is grasped in the hand a little way above the +reel, the balance should be the same above the hand as below it, so that +it may be used with the greatest ease. + +The beautiful rent and glued-up bamboo-cane fly rods, which I turn out +to the greatest perfection, are very valuable, as they are both light +and powerful, and throw the line with great facility. The cane for these +rods must be of the very best description, or they will not last any +time. They will last for years if properly made, and of course the +fisher must take care of them; they are best when made into pocket rods, +in eight joints, with all the knots cut out, and the good pieces between +each knot rent and glued up; these may be had in my shop of as good a +balance as a three-joint rod, most superbly made of the lightest +brazings. They make capital perch and roach rods with a bait top added +to the extra fly top, with bored butt to hold all. These rods can be +made to suit a lady's hand for either boat or fly fishing. + +The salmon rod should be made in four pieces or joints. The butt of the +best long grained solid ash, the wood of which is not so heavy as +hickory, and is not liable to break at the ferrule, that is, if the +ferrule is put on "flush," without letting it into the wood by scoring +it; the piece above the butt, and the joint next the top, should be of +the very best well-seasoned hickory, without crack or flaw; the tops to +be made of the best yellow bamboo cane, either rent and glued up in +three pieces, or spliced in short lengths with the knots cut away; the +first joint to be nearly as stout as the substance of the wood above the +ferrule as the end of the butt for a foot and a half, to prevent the rod +being limber in the middle; the next joint that holds the top should be +very smart, and come up at a touch when bent with the hand, and the +extreme lightness of the cane top prevents all appearance of its being +top-heavy, which cannot be prevented with lance-wood, unless it is made +very fine indeed, and then it becomes useless. The length of the rod +should not exceed seventeen or eighteen feet long, and for light rivers, +sixteen feet is quite long enough; if the angler fly fishes for salmon +from a boat, fourteen feet will be sufficient, made, of course, very +powerful throughout, as in some large rivers a salmon will take the fly +close to the boat in strong and deep streams. The rings should be pretty +large, to admit of the line running freely, and the joints double +brazed, which prevents the bare wood of the tongues twisting off when +the rod is taken to pieces after a day's fishing, particularly when they +get wet. The reel fittings should be about a foot and a half, or say +twenty inches from the extreme end, that there may be room for the left +hand to grasp it easily below the reel, which prevents the rod hanging +heavy on the arms, and will balance it much better than having the reel +too near the end of the butt. When the salmon rod is bent after playing +a fish, it can be easily straightened by turning it when the next fish +is hooked, and allow the line to run through the rings on the top of the +rod; by holding it in that position, you can see how you are winding up +the line on the reel, and regulate it according as the fish runs towards +you, for if the reel is held underneath when the fish is on, if he runs +towards you, it cannot be seen whether the line runs on in a lump or +not, which, if it does, often causes it to stop, and may occasion the +loss of your fish. + +The most essential and nicest point of all is in casting the line and +trout flies neatly on the water, which, when properly accomplished in a +masterly way, will be the greatest means towards the success of the fly +fisher in hooking and catching his fish. In the first place, the fisher +should keep as far off the water as possible when throwing next his own +side, and make it a rule, whenever he can, to angle on the bank from +which the wind blows, as it will enable him to throw the flies across to +the opposite bank, and play them gently down the stream in a slanting +direction towards him, moving backwards as they approach his side, +drawing them up along the bank if the stream is any ways deep, as a +trout of good size is often lying in such a place when undisturbed, as +you fish cautiously down. + +The line should not be let off the reel too fast when you begin to +throw, that the stream may be carefully covered near you, and as you +move along let it off so as to cover the whole of the water. Hold the +rod firmly above the reel in the right hand, and take hold of the end of +the casting line in the left, give it a motion towards your left +shoulder, and over the head with a circle to the full length of the +flies behind you, and with a spring of the rod and motion of the arm +bring them right before you on to the stream, as straightly and lightly +as possible, and by this method you will prevent them whipping off +behind in a very short time; allow the line always to stretch to its +full length behind, and keep them on the move, with the backward sweep +of the rod round the head propel them forward to the place you desire +they should fall, and I do not doubt that you will make neither splash +nor ripple on the surface. And when a fish makes a rise, move the rod +upwards with a gentle pull, which is better than striking hard, as the +small hook is easily driven, and there is no occasion to break the hold +or line. Never hold too hard on a large fish, but let him run if he +will, a small one may be landed immediately. By no means attempt to go +"an angling" without a landing net, as there may be danger in losing +your fish, after having the trouble or sport of playing him a long time, +and the bank high on your side. I have been always in the habit of +fishing down the stream, throwing my flies slantingly to the opposite +bank, and letting them fall gradually with the current, and walking +slowly along lifting and throwing them at my leisure--it is all fancy +whether up or down you go, so as it is well done--what you have +habituated yourself to in fly fishing in general, that do. Keep your +shadow as much as possible off the water, and when you land your fish +let his head drop into the net first, and his whole weight will follow, +lift him clean up on the bank with a pull of the net towards you, as +this prevents him dropping out. + + + + +FLY-FISHING FOR SALMON. + + +When you begin fly-fishing for Salmon, you must be careful not to let +out too much of the reel line first, but when you become accustomed to +it, and are master of throwing a short one, let it out gradually till +you are enabled to cover the pool over which you cast with ease. + +If you practice throwing over a smooth wide part of the river, you will +see how your line falls on the water, whether thrown in a lump, or light +and straight without a splash; but at one time you may cast the line +right out over the stream at its full length, and on giving another cast +you may allow the line to fall on the water in the middle of it first, +and the fly to fall last, which is not so good, but in either way the +fish will rise and take it; by the last cast you may get the line +farther off, and the fly alighting near the opposite bank, it is very +apt to be taken by a fish lying close under it; and when throwing, keep +the point of the rod up out of the water, and do not let it strike it; +throw across in a rather slanting direction, allowing the fly to sweep +down without a curve in the middle of the line, and at the same time +move the rod playfully to give the fly a life-like appearance; drawing +it in towards your side of the bank, moving it up and down gradually +with the current, and when a fish takes the fly raise your hand, and +fasten the hook without a jerk, holding up your rod at the same time +with what is termed a "sweet fast," that it may not get slack at any +time till you have killed him; when you poise the rod in your hands for +a throw, the whole knack is in keeping the left hand steady, and with a +turn of the right hand cause the line to make a circle round the left +shoulder and over the head, propel it forward with the spring of the +rod, keeping the fly going all the time till it falls on the water +before you as straight as possible; when you lift the fly out of the +water to throw again, you require to make use of the strength of the +right arm, giving it the proper turn round with the wrist, making a +sweep of the extent of the line behind you, and with the spring and +power of the rod direct the fly on that part of the stream where you +desire it should fall; letting the line out occasionally off the reel +with your hand, which gives the fly a very natural motion on the water, +moving it gradually down towards your side, when you lift the line out +and make another throw as before a little lower down, and so on until +you cover the whole stream. + +You may change to the left hand when you are tired with the right, or +according to the side you are fishing from, to facilitate and ease your +exertion as much as possible when throwing a long line. When I have +happened to be in a barn at a farm house on the river side, I have often +thought when taking up the flail to thrash awhile, whilst the man was +resting himself, that the exertion was remarkably like throwing the fly +with the Salmon rod, the whole method appears to be in the turn of the +wrist and arm, for when the flail is raised up and wound over the left +shoulder, with a certain impulse known to one's self you propel it +forward over the head, striking the sheaf on the ground with full force +on any part you like, where you think there are any ears in it. + +Many may not be acquainted with flail thrashing, but were they to +understand the knack, it is easily done; so, also, is the using of the +salmon rod, with a little practice, and observing a good thrower if you +happen to meet one on the river, or an old fisherman you employ. + +Keep yourself steady on your feet, and your body well up when casting, +as it gives more power to the muscles, and when a salmon is fairly +hooked it will prevent your being nervous or striking too quick, but as +I said before, rise your hand and keep the line taut; as the fish will +often rise several times out of the water in succession when first +pricked with the hook, on finding himself detained; when he runs keep +the rod nearly perpendicular, as the spring of it will soon tire him +out; if he is a good way off and makes a rush towards you, wind up your +line quickly, keeping it taut at the same time, and moving backwards +till he is near your own shore: if he rolls over in the water apply the +gaff and lift him out, but if he is not regularly beat he will rush off +again on seeing the gaff with great strength, give in he must at last +by the gentle strain of the rod that is always upon him. He often gets +sulky, and lies down on the bottom of the river, when it will be found +difficult to start him again: a clearing ring let down the line on his +nose will cause him to run, and when he does so, it is best to bear +stronger upon him, as in so doing you have the best chance of quickly +tiring and capturing him. I think it the best plan to lay the gaff under +him, and gaff him in the gills, which prevents tearing or making a hole +in the fish. + +The Salmon reel should be made of the lightest and hardest material, not +too much contracted, but a good width, that the line may be wound up +evenly without incumbrance; a plain upright handle is much the safest +when playing a fish, as the portable ones are apt to crack or snap off +if they meet the least obstruction in the running out of the line; and +the portable handle stands too far out, which catches the line almost +every time it is drawn off or a cast given. Small reels may be made with +portable handles, without any fear of their breaking, as the fish are +small and can be managed easily. + +The salmon line should be of silk and hair eight-plait or four-plait, +eighty or a hundred yards long, and for small rivers, sixty yards for a +sixteen feet rod. The casting line for clear waters should be half +treble and half single gut, to suit grilse or small salmon flies in +summer; and in the spring of the year when large flies are in use, good +strong-twisted gut, three yards long, is what is necessary for a heavy +reel line, particularly in large rivers, as the Shannon and the Bann in +Ireland, and the Tweed in Scotland. + +There are not three better Salmon Rivers in the world than the above, +were the salmon allowed access into them during the summer months for +the amusement of those great angling gentlemen who would visit them +during that period, or even if there were but a few let up past the +"cruives" or "cuts," that there might be a sprinkling for them to throw +flies over. It would not matter to them what nets the fishermen along +the shores of the estuaries used, as they only affect the "Cruives," or +"Fixed Traps" built across the rivers, as of course less fish run into +them, and there would be abundance of salmon and grilse go up the +centre or deep part of the river, which the fishermen could not possibly +reach. + +These "Traps" are kept down all the summer, from the early spring till +the end of August, at which period they are what is termed "lifted," and +up run the spawning fish; and the great fly fishers now lay by their +rods and tackle for that season, as fly fishing is prohibited when the +salmon are spawning in the rivers. There is certainly a respite in the +Tweed, when the nets are taken off at the end of the season for the +accommodation of the fly fisher; and were it so in the Shannon and the +Bann, there would be very great satisfaction in having a month or six +weeks' fishing in these splendid rivers. They are certainly free +throughout the summer to the fly fisher, but he might labour a whole day +with his rod and fly without getting a rise, except by chance. + +There will never be any good done until the "cruives" or "cuts" are +removed off the rivers, unless the head landlord would make an agreement +with the renter of the "cruive," and enforce it as a law,--to lift the +"cruive" two days in the week, that there might be fish in the rivers +for the accommodation of the great body of gentlemen anglers who make +it their business to travel to these rivers to find amusement in Fly +Fishing, at very great expense; although I do not know if even this +would do,--it would be best by all means to remove them; and, +independent of fair netting for the general supply at the mouths and +estuaries, a Society of Anglers could rent the entire river, were the +owner to meet them on liberal terms which no doubt he would, and this +would prevent the destruction by degrees of the best breeding-fish in +the river. + + + + +AN ACCOUNT OF THE SALMON, AND ITS VARIETIES. + + +I desire merely to give some account of this beautiful fish for the +information of my readers, the knowledge of which has come under my own +notice, in the rivers of Ireland in particular, amongst the fishermen at +their mouths, at the "cruives" or "cuts," and throughout my rambles +along their banks. + +This excellent salmon is a very handsome fish, the head is small, the +body rather long and covered with bright scales, the back is of a bluish +shade, the other parts white, and marked with irregular dark brown spots +on the head, the covers of the gills, down each side from the lateral +lines to near the edge of the back, very few are to be seen below the +lines which run from head to tail; the tail is forked. + +He takes great delight in pursuing small fish and fry, and in playing +and jumping on the top of the water, at insects no doubt, and for his +own sport. + +It has been often said that there was never any thing found in the +salmon's stomach such as edibles, but it has been recently discovered +that they prey upon herrings, sprats, fry, and other dainties in their +native element; and as these fish are very nutritious and fat in +themselves, no doubt the nourishing channel in them receives the +substance of the food very quickly, as it appears to be digested so +rapidly in their stomachs. He leaves the sea for the fresh water rivers +about January and February, and continues to run up till September and +October, their spawning time, and some spawn after this time; they are +often big with roe in December and January, in the end of August or the +beginning of September; when they are in roe regularly, they cannot be +in proper season; they get soft, their beautiful color and spots vanish, +and they do not appear like the same fish. They travel up rivers as far +as they can possibly get, into lakes and their feeders, and tributaries +of large rivers, where they take delight in the broad gravelly fords, +and strong deep running currents, which they like to be as clear as +crystal, to effect which they will leap over weirs, waterfalls, "cuts," +"cruives," and "traps," when there is a flood rushing over them, to the +great delight of the fly fisher, who loves to see them run and escape +these obstructions. + +The male fish is supplied by nature with a hard gristly beak on the end +of the under jaw, which fits into a socket in the upper jaw to a nicety; +with this the Salmon go to work with their heads up stream, rising their +tails sometimes nearly perpendicular, and root up the sand and gravel in +heaps, leaving a hollow between, wherein the female deposits the eggs; +the male fish still performing his part, chasing away the large trout +that are ready to root it up (the spawn), he covers it over +substantially against the forthcoming winter's floods and storms. By +this time he becomes wearied, spent, and sickly, and then turns himself +round and makes head for the sea, where, if once happily arrived, he +soon makes up for the debility in his blue, his fresh, and ever free +element. The refreshing and purging nature of the salt water soon makes +him once more strong and healthy, he may be seen leaping and playing in +the sea near the river's mouth on his recovery. I have been told by +fishermen that they proceed in shoals to the ice fields in the North +Seas, and return to the rivers and estuaries in the spring and summer +as they departed, in large shoals; they discover themselves in the bays +by jumping out of the water as they near the river. + +The Salmon haunts the deepest, strongest, and most rapid rivers, and is +rarely to be seen in those wherein there is much traffic, or that are +sullen or muddy. They prefer the upper parts of rough streams that run +into large pools, and the tails of these pools, behind large stones, in +the middle and at sides of waterfalls in the eddies, these are the parts +to throw for them, but the fisherman on the water will show the angler +all the best places. The best months to angle for them are from March +till the middle of August, after September they are out of season. They +will take the fly best from six or seven o'clock in the morning till +nine, and from three in the afternoon till dark, with a good wind +blowing up stream. I have hooked them on the very top of a precipice, +after surmounting the leap, where they lie to rest in the first deep +pool they come to; they generally run down over the rocks or falls of +water to the pool beneath, when they often get killed by the rapid +descent. + + + + +THE SALMON FRY. + + +These beautiful little fish, the production of the spawn of the salmon, +make their appearance in March and April, and if a flood happens to rise +or swell the rivers about the end of the latter month, they are taken +down in great numbers, till at last they enter the brackish water, where +they grow in a short time as large as white trout. The salt water adds +much to their growth. In the following spring and summer they run up the +rivers in great quantities if they are allowed, and return to the sea +again before winter. On their second return up the rivers they will be +grown very large, and are then called "Grilse," or "Peals," &c. + +There is a SALMON TROUT of the same species, which is rounder in +proportion to the Salmon, of a reddish hue when in season; it has small +fine scales, beautifully intermixed with rich red and black spots on +both sides of the lateral lines, from head to tail, and its handsome +head is spotted over, as also the covers of the gills; the tail is +shorter, and not so much forked as the salmon, and the fins are very +strong. The flesh is most delicious, and some prefer it to salmon. They +may be seen in the Fishmongers' shops from May till the end of August. + +Another species is the Sewen of Wales, the White Trout of Ireland and +England, and the Whiting of Scotland; they are very bright in colour, +and run about the size of Mackerel; they haunt the roughest, strong +streams, and gravelly bottoms. When they are hooked on the fly they will +spring repeatedly out of the water, and afford pleasant sport for the +angler. They take small gaudy flies like the Salmon Trout, and when the +water is low, dun flies, black hackle flies with silver ribs, and grouse +hackles of a light brown colour and yellow bodies. The hooks about Nos. +6 and 8. + +Another species is the Bull-Trout, which has a short thick head, and a +brownish body, covered with spots of a brown colour, and are found in +all rivers having communication with the sea, and their tributaries, if +there are no obstructions to prevent their running up. They are found +running up the rivers in June and July, and in these months and August, +are in good season. They are rather a dry fish. + +The PAR or LAST-SPRING are most plentiful in salmon rivers from May till +the end of August, and are very much like the salmon fry, only for the +dark bars across them, and towards the end of the season they are +variously marked. There is no little fish so plump and lively when taken +with the fly, except the Salmon Fry. As the Sea-Trout are known to grow +to the weight of sixteen and twenty pounds in large rivers, such as the +Tweed, the Shannon, and the Bann, the Par may be the fry of these fish, +which run up the rivers in the spring and summer. These Sea-Trout differ +much in shape and colour to the real Salmon, and are what are termed +Salmon in the London markets.--This I heard from a fisherman at the +mouth of the Tweed, who pointed out a large creel full to me, just taken +in the nets, and amongst the whole there was but one Salmon. The +Sea-Trout may be known by being paler, and covered with more spots, and +by being longer and thinner in the body; the head is also much longer. + +There is a rich golden hue over the Salmon when you get a side look of +it; the body is plump and boar-backed, the head is very small, and +there are few spots, except above the lateral lines. + +I have seen the Par so numerous in the River Dovey, in Wales, that a man +(a guide), took my salmon rod, and a cast of four small flies, the sun +shining, and in two hours he killed nine pounds weight of these fish, +about a finger in length or less. It perfectly surprised me; but it +seems that this was but a small quantity in comparison to what the +fishers were in the habit of taking out in a day. It appeared so, as the +inn-keeper's wife potted them in large jars. These rivers abound with +Sewen, Sea-Trout, and White Trout; the first-named fish is the White +Trout of Wales, which corresponds with the Irish fish of that name, and +called in Wales, Sewen. The Par may be the fry of these fish, which are +of the Salmon species, and ought to be protected by law. + +[Illustration: Plate of Gaudy Flies, Nos. 1, 2, 3] + + + + +A DESCRIPTION OF THE FIFTEEN SALMON FLIES ENGRAVED IN THE PLATES. + + +These fifteen Salmon Flies may be considered by my readers as specimens +of real perfection, and the "dons" of the present time amongst the great +Salmon fishers. There is such a combination of colours in them +throughout, that they will be found most killing in the rivers of +Scotland and Ireland, if made on hooks of sizes to suit each, and their +proper seasons. + +I have taken the greatest pains imaginable to make them in proportion, +and of the most choice materials, which will greatly amuse the amateur +in his leisure hours to imitate them, and if he goes by the models, and +their descriptions, he will find them, when completed, what may be +termed by a Salmon fisher, magnificent. Their life-like and alluring +appearance, when humoured attractively with the rod and line, will cause +them to be very deceptive to the Salmon, and they will rise out of the +water at them with such greediness (the fun of it is) as to mistake +them for living insects. I have seen them swim after the fly for some +distance, as quietly as possible, before making a rush at it, then seize +it, show their back fin, and then the points of their tail--the break of +the water they have made closes--you "rise your hand," and the hook is +"anchored." + +No. 1. I shall name this THE SPIRIT FLY, in consequence of its +numerously-jointed body, its fanciful, florid, and delicate appearance. +Its colours will be found most enticing to the fish, and is a sister fly +to Ondine, in the "Book of the Salmon," by "Ephemera." + +The wings are made of six toppings, with a broad strip of wood duck on +each side, a red Hymalaya crest feather at top, a cock of the rock +feather, blue kingfisher feather at each side, a black head, and feelers +of macaw. The body is made of joints of black, orange floss, and a tip +of gold tinsel at the tail, tail two small toppings, a tag of puce silk +and ostrich, (it must be tied with very fine silk that the body may not +be lumpy, but to show gradually taper from the tail to the head, and the +hackle to be stripped at one side to roll even), and at each joint a +scarlet hackle, with a tip of gold tinsel under each joint, to make it +lively looking. There is a purple hackle, or very dark blue, struck +round the shoulder. The size of the hook is No. 6 or 7. Salmon, B or BB. + +No. 2. The wings are composed of golden pheasant tail feather, mixed +with the following: strips of bustard, scarlet macaw, wood-duck, +mallard, yellow macaw body feather, silver pheasant, and a topping over +all, extending a little longer than the other feathers; blue and yellow +macaw feelers. The wing, as above, should be laid out on a piece of +paper, ready to tie on after the body and legs are formed, the jay +rolled over the head in this fly, and the head tied on last, of black +ostrich. The tail is a topping, mixed with a strip of wood-duck feather, +tipped with silver twist, a tag of gold-colour floss, and black ostrich; +the body puce floss to the centre, and the remainder orange pig hair or +mohair, ribbed with broad silver tinsel, and a guinea-hen rump feather +rolled over the orange beneath the jay hackle. This is about as fine a +specimen of a Salmon fly as ever was thrown into the water, and will +kill Salmon and Grilse, made small, in every Salmon river in Great +Britain. The hook No. 6 or 9, Limerick. + +The best Irish hooks are numbered from No. 1, largest Salmon size, to +No. 10, Sea-Trout size. + +No. 3. This is another of the Spirit Flies that kill so well in the +rivers of Ireland and Scotland, at high water, particularly the Spey and +Tweed. The wings are made of the following mixtures of feathers, each +side of the wings to be alike: Brown mallard, bustard and wood-duck; a +topping, scarlet macaw, teal, golden pheasant neck feather, a strip of +yellow macaw, and feelers of blue and yellow tail; a head of black +ostrich; the tail to be a topping, mixed with green and red parrot tail; +the body is composed of joints, first a tip of silver, a tag of morone +floss, a tag of black, a joint of brown, green and brown-red hackle, +puce and red, green and yellow, blue and orange, with a tip of gold +tinsel at each joint, a very small red hackle, and two red toucan +feathers round the shoulder, and blue kingfisher's feather on each side +of the wings. The hook No. 6, and No. 10 for Grilse. + +No. 4. A celebrated Claret Fly, of very killing qualities both in +Scotland and Ireland, and in the Thames as a trout fly. The wings are +composed of two wood-duck feathers wanting the white tips, and two +strips of the same kind of feather with white tips; the head is made of +peacock harl; the tail is two or three strips of hen pheasant tail, with +a short tuft of red orange macaw body feather or parrot, tipped with +silver, and gold ribbing over the body, which is formed of claret pig +hair, over which roll two richly dyed claret hackles, struck in fine +proportion from the tail up. The hook No. 6 or 10. It is a capital fly +in lakes for large trout, as a breeze or gentle gale only causes a +ripple, and a strong wind does not do so well in lakes with the fly, as +it makes waves, although good for a large size minnow. + +[Illustration: Plate of three Salmon-flies, Nos. 4, 5, 6] + +No. 5. A brown fly, a general favorite among the "old ones," on every +salmon river in Ireland and Scotland, particularly the latter, and in +rivers a good way up from the sea, on a dark day, with a good breeze +blowing up the stream. The following fly, No. 6, may be used in a +similar manner. The wings are made of the golden pheasant tail that has +the long clouded bar in the feather, rather full, and two rather +broad strips of light brown white-tipped turkey tail feather at each +side; a good size peacock harl head, and feelers of scarlet macaw +feather; tipped at the tail with gold tinsel--the tail a small bright +topping, and a tag of gold-colour floss silk; the body is made of +cinnamon, or yellow-brown pig hair or mohair, ribbed with double silver +twist; over the body roll a real brown red cock's hackle, and round the +throttle roll on a bright red-brown small-spotted grouse hackle, or a +brown mottled feather of the hen Argus pheasant's neck or back. BB hook, +or a No. 8. + +No. 6. A Silver Grey Fly, a great favorite on the lakes of Killarney for +Salmon and Grilse, and at Waterville, in the County of Kerry, for Sea +and White Trout, made small on a No. 10 hook, about the size of a No. 6 +Trout hook of English make. The wings are made of golden pheasant tail +feather, mixed with mallard, red macaw, blue and yellow body feathers of +the macaw, guinea hen, and golden pheasant neck feathers, with feelers +of blue and yellow macaw, a black head; tipped at the tail with silver +and orange floss tag, the tail a topping mixed with red and blue macaw +feather, (those blues that are found under the wings of that bird which +are of a very light hue) and guinea hen: the body is made of the silver +dun monkey if it can be got, light dun fox or squirrel fur, or dyed blue +dun mohair mixed with yellow,--all these are good for a body, ribbed +with broad silver tinsel, and a hackle of a real dun cock that has a +yellowish motley shade throughout it, rolled up to the head, and round +the shoulder a bright orange dyed hackle, underneath which tie in a +little orange mohair. It may be varied with a claret hackle at the head, +or a fiery brown one. No. 9 hook. A small grilse or sea-trout hook, for +small rivers in either Scotland or Ireland, and also in the rivers of +Wales, where it is a native dun colour among the anglers. It will be +found a "don" to rise them. + +No. 7. A large dun palmer with a double hook, which, will be observed, +is of a tortuous shape in the body, as it appears in the plate. The +shape may be obtained by tying the hooks back to back, the top one to be +tied about quarter way down the shank of the end one, and the gut tied +tightly on each, (twisted gut of course when you form a loop). + +[Illustration: Plate of four Flies, Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10] + +It will be found a "killer" in large pools surrounded with trees in +stormy weather, and in rapid streams running into or near the sea, where +they take it most likely for a shrimp, as it corresponds in color. The +legs are composed of about six hackles of a real blue dun old +cock-saddle feather, having a motley yellowish hue, and peacock harl +head, rather full; the body is made of orange pig hair and yellow mohair +mixed, the former drawn out amongst the fibres of the hackles, which +must be struck on two at a time, commencing at the tail, till it is all +built up to the head, where there may be three hackles to make it +fuller,--it would be as well to have a small swivel at the head, that it +might spin gently round when moved in the water. No. 9 hook, or small +grilse size for large trout. It may be varied with gold, old dun cock's +hackles, and red body. + +No. 8 is a beautiful specimen of a gaudy fly. The wings, which are +finely mixed of rich feathers, are made of the following sorts:--orange, +yellow, and blue macaw body feathers, three strips of each; teal, +bustard, and golden pheasant neck feathers broken in strips; silver +pheasant tail, light brown golden pheasant tail feather, and a topping +over all a little longer; a peacock harl head, and blue and yellow +feelers. The body is formed in three joints, a tip of gold twist at the +tail, a tag of peacock harl, and a bright small topping for tail; first, +a joint of yellow floss, a joint of peacock, and two feathers of the +red-tipped feather of the crest of the cock of the rock tied short above +the harl and ribbed with gold; the next is a blue floss silk joint +ribbed with gold, a peacock harl rolled on close, and two feathers of +the crest of the cock of the rock tied close above it; and the third is +an orange floss silk joint, a peacock harl tag, and ribbed with gold, +two of the red-tipped feathers tied on close as above, and a blue jay +round the shoulder. No. 8 hook on B. This is a famous grilse fly. + +No. 9 is another great beauty, and a capital grilse or small salmon fly +for any river under the sun. The wings are made of two jungle-cock +feathers, and two shorter feathers of the golden pheasant neck, the +white ends of the jungle-cock to show well beyond the golden pheasant +neck, two broad strips of wood-duck, one at each side, and a topping or +two extending longer than the other feathers for feelers, a black +ostrich head; a tip of gold at the tail, a tag of yellow-green silk, a +tag of black ostrich, and a bright topping for tail, above the ostrich a +blue tag, and the body made of claret floss silk, ribbed with gold +tinsel, and claret dyed hackle struck over the body, with a blue jay +feather at the shoulder. The hook B or BB. + +No. 10. This is a famous high water fly for all salmon rivers, +particularly in Scotland, and is not unlike the once celebrated "Parson +Fly," the favourite killer in all rivers of the Reverend St. John's; +there is no salmon can resist its attractions in rapid pools in rivers +near the sea. The preceding fly, No. 9, will be found to kill better a +few miles higher up from the sea, as all plain flies do. If the No. 9 is +winged with brown mallard or brown turkey tail feather, it will be found +just the thing. + +The wings are made of two golden pheasant neck feathers, with a broad +strip of peacock wing feather on each side, and a strip of scarlet macaw +tail feather, the latter to be a little longer than the other feathers, +a black ostrich head with a full brilliant blue jay feather round the +shoulder. The body is made thus:--a tip of silver twist, a yellow floss +silk tag, two small toppings for tail, the body is of golden yellow pig +hair or mohair, ribbed with silver twist, with two golden yellow dyed +hackles with a black streak up the centre, rolled from the tail to the +head. No. 9 hook, B, or BB. + +No. 11 is a fly that will kill grilse or salmon in the light running +rivers of the North of Scotland, and in all rivers where the salmon and +its varieties haunt, and is made of different sizes. The wings are made +of a few fibres of each of the following feathers: black and white small +spotted bustard rump feather, teal, wood-duck, silver hen pheasant tail, +and the silver cock pheasant tail black and white spotted feathers, the +neck feather of the golden pheasant, and the red spear feather of the +same bird, and at each side two small feathers of the black and white +jungle cock, a black head, and topping. The body is made half yellow and +half purple pig hair or mohair, the latter colour next the head, over +which roll close up two black heron feathers off the crest; a tip of +gold, and a small topping for tail, and over the yellow or purple body +roll double gold twist. No. 7 hook, or BB. + +The Sea-Trout Fly underneath No. 11 in the same plate, will be found a +killer either for sea-trout or grilse, in the rivers in Scotland, and +the South of Ireland. The wings are made of a dark brown grouse hackle +that grows on the rump of the bird, just above the tail, mixed with a +small quantity of light brown turkey tail, or kite tail, which is the +salmon tail glede of the north, and two feelers of blue and yellow +macaw; a black head; the body is made with a tip of silver twist at the +tail, and a tag of black ostrich; the tail is a mixture of golden +pheasant neck feather, and brown mallard, two or three fibres of each; +the body is blue floss silk, rather light, with an old black cock's +hackle rolled over it, ribbed with fine silver twist; round the shoulder +roll a claret or scarlet hackle. The hook No. 10, or C, double CC, or B, +for grilse. There may be three or four varieties of this fly made +thus:--body blue, with blue jay, same wings, with a little neck feather +of the golden pheasant; orange body, same coloured hackle, and same +wings, blue jay at head; a dun body, with fiery brown hackle at the +head; a claret body--a yellow body, and small grouse; blue body, and +guinea hen; and a yellow body, with guinea hen; a black body, black +hackle, and the same wings and tail; a black fly, with teal wings; a +brown body, brown hackle, and "glede" wings, two fibres of the same for +tail. All these are the choicest colours for sea-trout and grilse flies +in every salmon river in the kingdom. + +[Illustration: Large Spring Salmon-fly] + +No. 12. Is a large SPRING FLY used generally in the Shannon, and the +Tweed, when the rivers are very high and rapid. It will be found a +magnificent specimen of a gaudy salmon fly, and is the proper size for +March and April, when the fulness of the stream prevents the fish from +seeing smaller ones. This fly will be seen to perfection in the Plate. +With this, I will describe three or four others of the same size, of +different colours, which came into my possession from Castle Connell, on +the Banks of the Shannon. + +The wings of No. 12 are made of the small spotted brown Argus tail +feather, golden pheasant tail, and the black and white peacock wing +feather; scarlet and blue macaw, and in the centre an orange macaw +feather whole, those that are tipped with blue and green--they are found +on the shoulders of the red macaw and down the back; a tuft of broken +neck feather of the golden pheasant at the head, and feelers of blue +and yellow macaw; a black head; a tip of gold at the tail, a tag of +blue, another of orange floss and black ostrich, a good sized topping in +the tail, and at its root a tuft of red spear feather of the golden +pheasant rump; there is about half an inch body at the tail end, made of +yellow mohair, and yellow hackle over it, ribbed with gold, the +remainder of the body is made of puce floss silk, with a dark +wine-purple hackle struck over it, ribbed with silver twist and flat +gold, and a yellow body feather of the macaw rolled round the shoulder. +The hook, No. 2 or 3, large Salmon size. + + +SPRING FLIES. + +The following fine large flies will be excellent killers in the Shannon, +the Tweed, the Thurso, the Spey, and the Tay, in the spring season. The +bodies to be made small, the wings large. + +No. 1. The body is made of sky blue floss silk, ribbed with broad silver +tinsel, tip of silver, and orange tag; a dark blue hackle from the tail +up; two toppings in the tail, a large yellow pig hair or mohair head +(white seal fur dyed yellow does well), a blue jay round the shoulder; +the wings are a large yellow and a large blue feather of the macaw, +which grows on the back and under the wings of that bird, two orange +macaw feathers an inch shorter on each side of them, two toppings, a +mixture of argus, bustard, scarlet and blue macaw, good size strips of +each. No. 1 hook, full salmon size. + +No. 2. The body is made of black floss silk, tipped with silver, tag of +orange, ribbed with broad silver plate up the body, beside which a +claret hackle, and the tail two toppings; the wings are made of a large +red rump spear feather of the golden pheasant in the centre, four large +toppings with a mixture of sprigging at each side of the following: +Argus pheasant tail, bustard, blue and yellow macaw, blue jay at the +shoulder, and a large size head of puce pig hair. Hook No. 1 or 2, +Spring Salmon size. + +No. 3. The body is made of black floss silk, ribbed with silver, orange +tag, tip of silver, tail a topping with a little red; the wings are made +of the whole yellow feathers of the macaw which grow under the wings of +the bird, two tipped feathers mixed with bustard, Argus, blue and +scarlet macaw, and a blue head of pig hair or mohair. No. 1 or 2 hook. + +No. 4. The body is made of light puce floss silk, ribbed with silver +plate and gold twist, a claret hackle over it, tipped with silver, a +topping for tail, and orange tag; the wings are made of yellow macaw, a +red spear feather, four toppings, a mixture of bustard golden pheasant +tail, kingfisher's each side, and a large blue head of mohair. (It +cannot be too large for the Shannon). No. 1 hook, large Salmon size. + +No. 5. The body is made of puce floss, ribbed with broad silver and gold +twist, purple hackle over it, orange tag, tip of silver, and tail a +topping; the wings are made of two body feathers of the yellow macaw, +mixed with blue macaw tail and Argus, two large toppings, and a dark +blue pig hair head. Salmon hook No. 2, spring size. + +No. 6. This is another excellent fly. The wings are like the last named +fly; a black floss body, ribbed with silver, and yellow hackle over it; +a large blue head, picked out to hang down like a hackle. No. 3 hook. +This is a fly of "The Ogormans," of Ennis, in the County of Clare, see +his Work on Angling. The two Salmon Flies in the plate, with "picker," +are described for Killarney. + + + + +SALMON RIVERS. + + +It will be most advantageous to my readers that I should give them some +accurate accounts of the various Salmon Rivers, pointing out at the same +time the best station on each where sport may be expected with the fly, +and to know where to proceed before starting on their angling excursion, +as the whole fun is in knowing the right places to prevent +disappointment. There are numerous small size rivers, the local flies +for which are of a plain and sombre hue, and which it will be necessary +the fisher should be acquainted with--these I will give as I proceed. + +In summer, when the rivers are low, small plain flies are best, or +rather so on dark days, with a good ripple, then they will entice them. +They do not rise often when the sun is warm, except in rapid streams. +Use small black bodied flies with silver and middling gaudy wings, mixed +with teal or cock of the north feather--change it to a gaudy one if they +do not take the black. Early in the mornings before the sun strikes the +water, and from three o'clock till dark, or about sunset is a good time +to move a large fish with a fly he likes. The two flies at the bottom of +the plate with "picker," are most likely ones for that time in the day. +The plain one is brown body, and wings of mallard. The bottom one is +green body, and mixed wings of gaudy feathers; the body is a jointed +one, of peacock green. I made it nearly twenty years ago,--it is a +beautiful specimen of a gaudy fly for rapids after a flood. + + + + +THE RIVER TWEED. + + +I will begin with this large and beautiful salmon river, which runs +rapidly along the borders of England and Scotland, taking a course from +West to East. It flows majestically through a highly picturesque and +cultivated country, washing many good towns on its way to the sea, +where it discharges its valuable waters at Berwick. + +The town of Kelso is the best station, as there is good fishing above +and below it. There is a magnificent spot for a month or more of salmon +fishing at a place called "The Throughs," three miles above the +town,--it is a real picture of a place to the eyes of the fisher. Higher +up is St. Boswell's, and a little higher, Melrose--both charming places. +There is good angling in the Tiviot, at Kelso, in the spring; it runs +into the Tweed on the opposite side. The trout are numerous in it. There +are several capital stations below the town, where the fish take the fly +most freely, which is not the case in most of the rivers of the same +magnitude. The fifteen painted salmon flies will be found excellent +killers in this noble river, and the six large spring flies. + +I have killed Grilse, Sea-Trout, and River-Trout with the Winged Larva +at the "Throughs" in August. Easterly winds were prevailing at the time, +and the fish would not stir at any other sort of fly. When the river +runs very low small flies are best. + + + + +THE RIVER SHANNON. + + +This is the largest and finest Salmon river in Britain. There is not a +river in Norway that can be compared to it for fishing, were it properly +used. The angler must proceed to its banks before he can say, +conscientiously, that he has ever seen a salmon river. In its course it +expands into three large and beautiful lakes, Lough Allen, Lough Ree, +and Lough Derg. There are numerous islands in the latter one, with ruins +of religious edifices, &c. This noble river receives many tributaries, +in which there is capital fly fishing, with rapids and falls of water +till it reaches Limerick. It runs a hundred and twenty miles to this +place, and sixty more to the sea. It is on leaving the lakes that it +abounds with many delightful streams--the haunts of large Salmon and +fine Trout. Six miles above Limerick, at Castle Connel, there is a +splendid place for the fly, and Trout fishing is good. The angler will +here behold a scene that will greatly amuse him. + +There are other capital casts for Salmon up to Killaloe, where the Pike +and Eels are of an extraordinary size and quality. Lough Derg is close +to this place, in which are caught the "Gillaroe" Trout; they have +gizzards like turkeys, are short and round in the body, very red in the +flesh when cooked, and they have a most delicious flavour. + +The best flies for the Shannon are the fifteen painted ones, and the six +large flies for spring. You cannot fail with these beautiful flies. + + + + +THE LAKES OF CLARE. + + +From the town of Killaloe the angler may proceed to the lakes of the +County of Clare. You go west to the town of Broadford, eight miles +distant, where there are three or four lakes, the furthest off one, +Dromore; this town is eighteen miles off, and about eight from the +county town, Ennis, on the river Fergus. Twelve miles up this river is +Corrafin, a neat town, near which is the celebrated lake of "Inchiquin," +famous for its large trout and splendid views. Here the angler will find +boats and every accommodation. + +The flies in my list for the season will kill exceedingly well in these +lakes, made two or three sizes larger, and in fine weather the size they +are. + +They are fond of grouse hackle, wrens, browns, turf-coloured flies, +amber, black, grey, &c., &c., with brown grouse wings. The "yarn fly"[B] +is not used here. + +Before the tourist angler leaves Killaloe, if he has time, he should by +all means see the antiquities of the place, Lough Derg and Holy Island, +where there are to be seen the ruins of seven churches, and a round +tower 70 feet high, the entrenchments of "Brian Boroimhe," King of +Munster, at Cancora, and his tomb near the Cathedral in the town. + +This ancient town is seated on the western bank of the Shannon, in the +County of Clare, over which there is a bridge of nineteen arches; at a +short distance below it, this grand river rolls over tremendous ledges +of rocks, where there is an excellent fishery. It is a great pity that +this fine river should be prevented from being of the greatest benefit +to the country through which it runs, all owing to the "cruives," the +"stake nets," "bag nets," and every other destructive invention that +can be contrived for the wholesale slaughter of the splendid Salmon. Oh! +look to it, you that have the power. + +From Limerick the angler may proceed to Athlone and Galway, but I should +advise him to proceed to the south first, and fish the Blackwater and +the lakes of Killarney; Mr. Jas. Butler has prohibited the fishing at +Waterville this spring, in consequence, as he says, "of the numbers +visiting, coupled with acts of poaching." I should say the lake is free, +as it always was and ever has been, knowing that Mr. Butler is most +polite to gentlemen. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[Footnote B: Net.] + + + + +THE LAKES OF KILLARNEY. + + +From Mallow, on the Blackwater, the angler proceeds to Killarney. It +would be as well to go to Lismore, farther down from Mallow, where there +is good Salmon fishing to be had; there is a Mr. Foley here (who rents +the "weirs" of the Duke of Devonshire), he is most polite to strangers, +and allows them to fish in the weirs, which are of some extent; and most +of the Gentlemen residing on its banks, from Lismore up, will allow the +stranger to fly-fish through their grounds, send their keepers to shew +them the best places, and are most hospitable and polite. At the +Killarney junction, Mallow, the angler takes his seat, and in a little +time is delighted with the sight of the Lakes. I visited Killarney in +1848, on an angling excursion in Ireland, to recruit my fallen spirits, +if possible, after many years of industrious labour, "and it is myself +that would advise the sickly to go there, if he had legs to walk on," +says poor Pat. + +To my great disappointment at the time, the Lakes were netted by their +respective owners, which rather damped my spirits after going so far "a +fishing"--my sport there was but inferior. It is not so now, many thanks +to Lord Kenmare and Mr. Herbert, who have put a stop to the netting and +other contrivances, to the delight of the anglers and inn keepers of the +neighbourhood. I have been given to understand that the Salmon fishing +is capital now in the lakes and river. At Ennisfallen Island there is a +favourite cast, and another between that and Ross Island; another to the +south west of it; towards Mucruss Abbey, to the north-east, there is +good water for the fly, and in "Glena" bay, all of which the boatmen +will show. At the latter place parties dine, in a very beautiful +situation at the foot of the hill, sheltered by trees to the water's +edge. On the west side of it is shown a curiosity--a holly, a thorn, a +birch, a hazel, an ash, and an oak, so curiously entwined, that they +appear as one tree; at this place there is a good fishery, at the +cottage they cut the salmon into pieces, skewer them with arbutus, and +roast them over a turf fire; they say arbutus gives them a fine flavour. + +Between Brickeen Bridge and the Upper Lake there is good fishing, in the +narrow gorge between the lakes; the charges of boats, &c., have been +regulated, so that they cannot now impose upon visitors. The scenery in +the vicinity of "Brickeen Bridge" and the Eagle's Nest is sublime, and +must delight the heart of the Angler who may be seeking health and +pastime, either by himself or with his dear admiring friends. + +There is not a table, either in inn or lodging house in the town of +Killarney, wanting a Guide to the Lakes, written by some intelligent +person or other, so that the angler cannot go astray. + +There are numerous good inns in the town and neighbourhood, the people +and landlords of which are polite, civil, and obliging to strangers, as +are the guides and boatmen. + +There is a Miss Smith, in New Street, who keeps a comfortable lodging, +the most honest creature I ever came across, go to her, you gentle ones. + +The delightful Island of Ennisfallen, which used to be my favourite spot +during my stay, would be a kind of Heaven on Earth to the invalid; it is +covered with verdure and beautiful large trees, the arbutus, &c. There +is a thorn growing through a tomb stone, a holly fourteen feet thick, a +curious crab tree, and the bed of honour, which the guides say if you +lie down in it, having no children up to the present time, "your honor +will be sure to have plenty of them after your return home."--This place +is a hollow about the size of a large bed, in a projecting rock +over-hung with holly and hawthorn. In an aperture in the "crab tree" the +guides recommend ladies to pass. There are ruins of a once celebrated +Abbey here, founded in an early date of St. Finian. + +The annals of Ennisfallen comprise a history of the world up to A.D. +430, and a history of Ireland up to 1320. They are preserved in Trinity +College, Dublin. There is an enormous ash tree growing out of the floor +of the abbey. It is unquestionably a healthy spot, and soon excites an +appetite by inhaling its salubrious air. + +The remains of the once beautiful edifice "Mucruss Abbey" is well worth +seeing, as the ravages of death, which were once too prominent, have +been cleared away by the humane Mr. Herbert, so that there may be a +close inspection made of the ruins; the architecture of the eastern +window is admirable; and the extraordinary "yew tree" growing in the +centre of the ancient cloisters and over-spreading its walls is curious +in the extreme, in the fork of the yew, above the great trunk, there is +a kind of unctuous gum constantly flowing down, which is said by the +peasantry that "the yew is shedding tears for the fate of the abbey." + +The Salmon flies to suit the Lakes, are Nos. 2, 4, 5, and 6, 8 and 9 the +two at the bottom of the plate with "picker," and No. 4 plate on Salmon +hooks, the paintings of which are exact to the models. The three latter +flies are, first, a cinnamon-brown body, brown wings, and brown red +hackle, mixed tail; second, a jointed body fly of blue and green, gaudy +mixed wing, topping in the tail--this fly may be used in very rough +water, and the brown one with a nice ripple and grey cloud; the No. 4 +fly on Salmon hooks, is mallard wings, fiery brown body ribbed with +gold, brown red hackle, hook No. 6, B, CC, and a yellow and red mixed +tail. The Dun Salmon Fly, No 6, and the one above it, No 5, are +favourite killers in the lakes and river. + +My advise is, that my friends (I call every angler who reads this book a +friend), should beware of the "mountain dew"[C] and goat's milk, sold by +the damsels of Killarney, in the vicinity of Brickeen Bridge, and the +Eagle's nest; they are harmless and cleanly creatures, but their +importunity to taste their goat's milk is teasing--buy their goat's +milk, but reject their "dew," gentle fishers. + +The river "Lane," which issues out of the Lower Lake, as it is now +preserved by the inn keepers, is a capital stream for salmon and sea +trout fishing; about four miles from Killarney, at the Bridge leading to +"Dunloe Gap," is a good place to begin to fish, either up or down the +river; the trout in both lakes and river are as yellow as gold when +taken out of the water, they are spotted over with beautiful brown-red +marks, and are very handsome to look at. + +The Trout Flies in the list will be found excellent for the lakes and +river. A grouse hackle, with orange silk body, and a little strip of +grey partridge tail for wings--this with the ant brown, hare's ear, and +amber fly; the red dun, caperer, wren and cuckoo hackle, and duns of +various shades and size, ribbed with silver. The land-rail fly, +brown-red hackle, and ash fox, an orange body with black hackle from the +tail up, and starling wings. The silver dun, with grey mallard wings, +mixed with the wing of the bunting lark, ribbed with silver, and tail of +the hackle fibres, the body yellow dun--this is a great favourite made +of sea-trout size for the river, and large for salmon in the lakes. The +sand and cinnamon flies are also good, and the red spinner; the winged +larva is an excellent fly below the Bridge, allowed to sink a little +beneath the surface when fished with, grilse and sea-trout will take it. + +The river Lane is remarkable for its firm footing along the banks, and +no where obstructed by trees, it is the most pleasant place I ever saw +for fishing, combined with wild and fanciful scenery. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[Footnote C: Whiskey--Oh! whiskey, whiskey,--cruel whiskey, you are the +cause of poor Pat's giant poverty, you have rushed in upon him like one +armed. Oh! thou accursed evil spirit.] + + + + +LOUGH CURRAN, WATERVILLE. + + +The angler may proceed any morning he feels disposed, to Waterville +river and lake, southwest of Killarney, in the County Kerry; there is a +car from the Kenmare Arms Hotel about eight o'clock in the morning, +passing through Killorglan at the foot of the river Lane, which you have +in view up to this place; Three miles farther on you come to the river +"Corra," where there is an Inn, at the Bridge, for the accommodation of +anglers, and where they may procure capital sea-trout and small grilse +fishing; the lake Carra, out of which the river flows, is seen to the +left before reaching the river at the bridge. It would be worth while +staying a few days at this place, as the sea-trout fishing is beyond +comparison, below the bridge to the sea, and above it as far as the +lake, and also in the lake. The flies I have just named will kill well +in the Carra, with a small black one, like a midge, ribbed with silver, +with a honey dun fly made very small. + +You reach "Cahirceveen" in about eight hours from Killarney, from whence +you take a car eight miles further on to Waterville, where you arrive +comfortably in the evening to rest and have a talk with Mr. Butler, the +proprietor of the "cuts;" the angler will find him most civil and +polite, and on asking you get instant permission to angle for salmon in +the river, and "keep all you catch" which has been a general rule for a +length of time; the lake is free for salmon and trout fishing, it +abounds with fine sea-trout, which appear to be continually running up +between the bars of the "cruives." The river is very small, having but +one pool in it close to the sea for salmon, the run of it is very short +as the lake and sea almost meet, they are separated merely by a neck of +land on which the bridge and "cuts" are erected, about three or four +perches altogether. There is good sport to be had in the lake and river +when it is flooded, and the angler will find every convenience with +respect to men and boats; there are two inns in the place, at least when +I was there in 1848, there were two. + +The flies for Waterville are the same as those I have just given, except +for salmon in the river, which should be very plain and sombre, they are +brown bodies, with dark hackles over a roll or two of gold tinsel, and +brown turkey wings of a reddish hue; small blue flies, with gaudy wings, +ribbed with silver, and black heads, the hackle to be dyed blue, and +floss silk body, hook No. 10 or C. CC. When the water is up they will +take Nos. 3, 4, and 5 flies in the plates; and the fly No. 11 is most +excellent. They use a good sized fly in the lake for trout, when I +fished it my flies were of the smaller sort, and in the hot sun the +trout took small amber flies best with me. The local flies were +darker--say drake size, with brown bodies, black hackles, and turkey +wings, nevertheless they take them in a windy day exceedingly quick, and +in a very short time the fishermen in the boats catch a large dish of +them, say in about a hour; the trout and grilse in this lake I must say +are most delicious, "they almost melt in the mouth," says he. + +The angler, when he gets tired here, may return to Killarney, and make +head for the west and north, "and sure enough he may have another throw +on the lakes, if he pleases, by way of bidding them good bye." + +He might take a start before he goes across the hills to Kenmare, by +car, and have a day or two on the river Blackwater, usually called +"Kerry Blackwater;" it is about eight miles from Kenmare, on the +south-west side of the estuary of that name, on the road to "Derrynane +Beg," or Derrynane Abbey. There is an inn on the river as you cross the +road, but no town. The angler might go to it for a day or so from +Waterville, by hiring a car at the inn, there and back. He will have an +opportunity of seeing the mansion of the late Mr. D. O'Connell, at +Derrynane, as he passes it to his right off the road, in a most healthy +situation, sequestered amongst dwarf trees of the most fanciful +appearance, close to a bay of the sea, or what is called "Kenmare +River," the salt water of which is as clear as crystal. + +The flies used on this prolific little river are brown bodies, three +ribs of gold tinsel, black hackles, and grouse and mallard wings; but I +would strongly advise the angler to have some of the small flies made +smaller still for this river, than in the plates of flies. A very small +blue jay, a silver grey or "hedgehog fly," with a small black one ribbed +with silver, are all good for this stream. + +The angler returns to old Killarney, and takes rail for Limerick, from +thence by steam to Athlone, on the "Great Western;" there are fine Trout +and Salmon here in summer. Go on from here to Galway, and fly fish Lough +Carib (the river, I believe, is now broken up to facilitate the +navigation between the bay and this grand expanse of fresh water). There +are very large Trout to be met with in the Lough, and every +accommodation respecting fishermen and boats at the town. The angler +will find it very pleasant for a day or two's fish in the lake, with a +ripple on the water and a grey cloud above. + + + + +CONNAMARA AND BALLYNAHINCH. + + +In this western region there are some beautiful lakes and rivers, once +celebrated for the abundance of Salmon and Trout which they contained, +but, alas! the "weirs" and nets have "wed" them all away, to the grief +of the tourist angler, who might have enjoyed the "wild sports of the +west." So he will yet, for there is a reformation to take place that +will restore them to their pristine numbers both in lake and river. They +are about to take down the "weirs," and net the bays, which will not +only give the Salmon a free passage up, but augment them a +hundred-fold,--then, "hurrah for Connamara, the land of the west." Derry +Clare Lake is a good one for the fly, so is Lough Inna, and above and +below the "weirs." If the generous proprietors of the fishery would +consult upon the subject, they would immediately put a stop to the +obstructions, if not, it it is quite impossible that there can be good +fishing up to Lough Inna. Thirty gentlemen might fly fish these waters +without the least inconvenience, were the Salmon allowed to go free. + +The Salmon Flies for Connamara are rather small and plain; various +brown, black, red, olive, and orange flies kill well, ribbed with gold +and silver. Those Sea-Trout ones, described for Waterville, do also +well, and orange floss silk, ribbed with gold, small topping for tail, +jay round the head, and mallard mixed wings. Hook C or CC. + +A small black fly, yellow tag, topping for tail, rib of silver, teal, +and golden pheasant neck, breast feather of the peacock wing, mixed, +blue feelers of macaw, jay at the shoulder. Hook B, or No. 9. A green +body, ribbed with gold, black red hackle, orange macaw, or cock of the +rock feather in the tail, short; a nice mixed gaudy wing, with a good +deal of mallard and wood-duck prevailing, or silver pheasant wing, the +hen bird is best. C, CC or B hook; vary the size for high and low water. +A small claret fly, and the three flies in the Plates, Nos. 3, 4, and 5, +with No. 11, all made on small hooks, these are the sorts to kill. The +Sea-Trout ones are very small black and red hackles, grouse and wren +hackles, dun flies, and little brown ants, hare's ear and yellow, +silver greys, and the small flies enumerated in the catalogue. Use a +sixteen feet salmon rod, and single gut casting lines, with one or two +twisted lengths next to the reel line, which should be plaited silk and +hair. There are plenty of boats and boatmen to be had at Ballynahinch +River and Lakes, all civil fellows, and if used with common kindness and +decency, they will confess that "the English anglers are the best +fellows in the whole world,--Good luck to their honors. Long life to +their honors." + +The scenery of this wild country is quite equal to any in Scotland, if +the intelligent tourist angler would be at the pains of penetrating into +the mountainous regions which surround Connamara. The islands in the +bays are interesting and beautiful, as well as the stupendous hills +standing up in order like giants, as it were, to bid defiance to the +wild waves of the great Atlantic. + +Ireland is proverbial for the finest breeding rivers in the world for +Salmon and Trout, in no country can there be found such splendid rivers +and lakes for Salmon; see, for instance, the rivers Shannon, Erin, Bann, +and the stupendous lakes out of which they issue, and of which, it is +sufficient to show, that at "Burn Cranna," two miles below Coleraine, +with the cross nets, three tons of Salmon were caught in one day by the +fishermen some years back. This will give an idea of what the rivers in +Ireland, in general, can produce. The Bann is preserved in the right +season for the fry to come to perfection in great shoals, and from March +till August the nets and "cruives" are worked. + +The flavour and quality of the Irish Salmon far exceed those of any +other part of the United Kingdom, for when the fish are sent up from the +north to the London markets they often lose their flavour, if not +properly packed in the ice boxes; how can it be otherwise, when the +distance is considered. The real Salmon of the Tweed, Tay, and Spay, are +delicious, through the quickness of transit. + +Above Ballynahinch are seen the "Twelve Pins," or rocky precipices of +"Beanabola." On the right of this mountainous road, beyond Ballynahinch, +opposite the beautiful island of "Ennisbofine," are seen green mountain +heights of great elevation, with romantic winding vallies, rivers, and +views, that strike the heart with admiration. + +There is a large river in this neighbourhood, called the "Owen Rieve," +which abounds with Salmon, and falls into the sea south of Clue Bay. At +the head of the Bay, a short way up, there is a Salmon Fishery, but no +inn. + + + + +BALLYNA. + + +The angler may now proceed to the river Moy, at Ballyna, in the County +of Mayo, a celebrated place for ages for Salmon fishing with the fly, +and also a place where he may find every facility for insuring sport by +the kind and obliging conduct of the renter of the "cruives," or cuts, +who politely allows the angler to fish where he pleases, on condition +that he gives up his fish save one per day, which he may freely reserve +for himself, and as a trophy of his success, have the honor of "cutting +it pink" by a good turf fire, tired after the day's sport, washing it +down with a smoking hot tumbler of "whiskey punch," drinking the health +of the Queen, and success to the arms of our brave countrymen in the +East. + +Lough Con will be found also good, but the trout fishing is best in +it--fly fish the river for salmon. It is about ten miles up to the +southwest, and in it may be caught with the fly, the gilla-roe trout +that have gizzards, the same as in Lough Derg on the Shannon. From the +town of Ballyna up to Foxford, eight miles distant, is all capital water +for salmon; there are plenty of boats to be had, and those who do not +like a boat may fish from the shore; the salmon will rise and take the +fly in every part of this water, so that the angler cannot go astray. + +The flies in use here are rather plain than gaudy, except in the spring, +like all other rivers, they must be larger and more of a gaudy hue. + +A claret body, claret hackle and gold rib, tail a small topping, an +orange tag rather tapered to the shoulder, jay at head, mallard wings +mixed with blue and yellow macaw, neck feather of the golden pheasant, a +topping over all, guinea hen, teal, and blue macaw feelers each side +with a kingfisher, hook CC, 9, or BB. + +[Illustration: Plate of 7 Flies and Salmon.] + +A fly, with a fiery brown floss silk body, black ostrich tag, hackle of +the same colour as body, rib of gold, tail of topping, mallard, golden +pheasant tail, neck, and red rump feathers mixed, a blue jay or small +guinea hen feather at the shoulder, hook No. 9, or B in low water. + +A blue body, blue jay over it, tag of orange floss, topping for tail, +the hackle to be made full by another jay at the shoulder, under which +roll a piece of orange pig-hair and pick it out well through the jay; +the wings to be mixed ones with a topping in the centre; scarlet macaw +feelers, and black head; hook No. 9 and B; rib the body with silver +tinsel, and let it be the same colour as the jay. + +These with Nos. 1, 3, 4, and 5, in the plates of flies for salmon will +be found excellent. No. 11 is a good one; and a fly made with black silk +body ribbed with silver twist, a very small topping in the tail, mixed +with a sprig or two of guinea hen and Ibis, a small guinea hen hackle +over the body and cut slantingly underneath the body to be longer at the +shoulder, and a black or peacock head with a small blue jay round it; +wings mixed with dark mallard, teal, neck feather, blue and yellow +macaw, and a strip or two of wood-duck each side, and a fibre or two of +peacock neck and white spotted wing feather, hook CC, B. If these flies +are attended to, they will kill when many others fail; do not lose your +sport and time, keep to what I say. + + + + +BALLYSHANNON. + + +From Ballyna the angler may proceed to the Erne, at Ballyshannon, by +coach, where he will find, on his arrival, a beautiful river, and every +accommodation he requires; it is a short running river, with a deep and +rapid current, about three or four miles in length; at the town of +Bellick it flows out of the grand expanse of Lough Erne, fifty miles in +length, and in some parts twelve in width. + +The salmon leap of Ballyshannon, is a broad body of water falling over a +perpendicular rock twelve feet high, up which the salmon run, showing +their dark backs through the foaming water, and again falling back into +the pool below after many attempts to surmount it; they seldom leap +clean up out of the water, but in general I have seen them rushing up +through the falling current, which shows the extraordinary strength they +possess. I have remarked that they always remain a day or two in the +first pool they come to after their ascent, and in this they take the +fly most greedily, generally at the head of the leap. + +The fishermen sweep the river with nets below the leap, and the enormous +quantities they take is most surprising, still there is abundance in the +river; in summer in consequence of the netting, of course the salmon are +not so plentiful up the river. The fish house stands on an island, which +may be seen from the bridge of fourteen arches, and in the distance the +sea views are grand. + +There is capital fishing below the bridge, and many fine salmon throws +or haunts all the way up to Belleek; this town is finely situated on the +north of Lough Erne, where it begins to discharge its waters into the +channel which conveys them into the bay of Donnegal. + +The river at this place has a fall of twenty feet, forming a beautiful +scene, enriched by foliage and steep precipices. The trout fishing here +is good. + +The river Erne has a long course, the source of which is "Lough +Gonnagh," in the County Longford, a short way from "Lough Sheelin," and +the celebrated Lakes of West Meath. It then enters "Lough Oughter," in +the County Cavan, after a serpentine course of eighteen or twenty miles, +although the distance between the lakes is only eight miles; after +passing through this lake, it takes another winding course of the same +distance, passing Belturbet, an ancient town on its banks, it then +enters the upper Lough Erne, and falls into the sea at Ballyshannon. +Seeing the abundance of fish which these grand lakes, and clear running +streams throughout the country produce, it is not at all to be wondered +at the quantities taken at Ballyshannon. + +The flies in use here are very gaudy, Nos. 1, 2, and 3, in the plates, +will be found capital killers, and up to No. 11 in fine days in summer +when the water is low. + +There is another good killer which I will here describe:--body yellow +brown mohair, ribbed with silver twist, puce tag, topping for tail with +a little scarlet ibis mixed, a good dyed yellow hackle rolled over the +body, and a scarlet hackle round the head; the wings are four toppings +with strips of summer duck, a sprig or two of pheasant tail and neck, a +strip of dyed white tipped turkey tail, and a sprig of guinea hen and +glede or kite tail, the tail feather of the hen Hymalean pheasant is as +good as what is called in Scotland "salmon tail glede," and the topping +or crest of the cock bird which is a transparent scarlet colour, and +like a topping of the golden pheasant stands over all; blue kingfisher +each side, and scarlet macaw feelers, black ostrich head, hook No. 9 or +8 in high water. This is a magnificent specimen of a salmon fly, and +cannot be made properly at a small expense, either by the amateur +himself who buys his foreign feathers, or by the fly-maker who gets his +bread by it. The three flies in the plates Nos. 1, 2, and 3, will be +found to do the work well. With this one, see the gaudy jointed fly in +the plate, with "picker" at top. + + + + +THE RIVERS BUSH AND BANN. + + +From Ballyshannon the angler proceeds to the Enniskillen and Derry +railway, where he takes his seat for Coleraine; on arriving at this town +he need not expect much fishing, except that he may take a throw at the +head of the leap, and take also a view of that stupendous fall of fresh +water which there can be little doubt of its surprising him, with the +grand and delightful scenes around. When he gets on the suspension +bridge, over the very top of the leap, he must hold by the rails to +steady himself, and consider where he really is; the noise which the +great body of water in the centre fall makes, when it descends into the +pool beneath, dins his very ears, this with the broad rapid running +river close beneath his feet as he stands on the light iron bridge, +holding by a single rail with his hand, must almost take his sight away; +and if he never had the pleasure of seeing the shadow of fear before, +rely upon it he feels himself in a fearful plight just then "for a short +time any how." + +On the County Derry side the falls are not so strong, and on these the +"cuts" are erected, for no salmon could surmount the centre fall, and +these "cuts" are so high from the top of the leap, that the salmon +cannot get over them even in floods, except by mere chance. This +productive fishery belongs to the London Fishmongers' Company, on +application the stranger will be allowed on the bridge to view the +falls, and at the same time he will see the traps crowded with salmon of +all sizes, from the small "graul," as they call them there, to the +largest size salmon; sometimes the fish can hardly swim in these "cuts" +or "cruives" they are so numerous, what a treat for the eyes of the fly +fisher to behold. The angler may fly fish at will, and has his choice +either to go up the Bann to Kilrea, or go first to the Bush river, it is +only seven miles from Coleraine to Bush Mills, so that as he is now in +that town it would be advisable to try his hand at the Bush first, and +then proceed to Kilrea, on the Bann, about fourteen miles up that river, +by car. + +When the angler arrives at Bush Mills, which he will do in an hour from +Coleraine, the inn keeper will make him acquainted with the rules of +the fishing. The river is now in possession of a club of gentlemen, who +will with great pleasure allow the stranger to fly fish. + +It will be necessary to have a guide, who will show you all the best +throws for salmon; and when tired of fishing, point out the "Causeway" +to you, which is two miles from the town. The best of the fishing +extends about two miles--one mile below the town to the sea, and one +mile above it at the salmon leap. + +There are some good throws on the top of the leap, and towards the tail +of the large pool beneath; another famous throw between that and the +town called "Lagan Drade;" at the top of this long pool there are two +large stones projecting out of the water, between which the current of +the stream rushes violently, in this rapid place between the stones the +fish will take the fly, and below the stones along the left side of the +Bush, and on the rising ground at the foot of the pool; if you can +manage to throw well over the bushes you will be very apt to hook a +salmon in the mid-water. There is another good throw below the bridge; +the deepest part lying along the gardens, and three or four more +between that and the sea; there is a large stone lies in the middle of +the river, over which the water may be seen boiling, if you can manage +to throw beyond it, and draw the fly across it letting it fall a little +below it, you will have a chance to hook a fish immediately. Just below +this stone, a little way from the sea, at a narrow part of the river, is +another capital place, fish it from the right side and do not come +abruptly upon the place or the fish will see you, which will prevent +them from rising, but this you can avoid, as you will see this +contracted part from the stone throw; prepare a good fly before you come +up, and keep as far off it as possible. It is a shelving elbow shaped +rock narrowing the river, so that your fly must be gradually moved down +commencing a few yards above the elbow rock, which cannot be seen as the +grass grows on it to the very edge, till you look over it into the +water; just as the fly rounds the point all the fish see it that are +lying under the brow of the hollow rock, where you may expect a rise; +this is the deepest part of the whole river, and the first resting place +for the fish after leaving the sea. + +In this place the depth of the water requires a bright fly; the +following one will prove a killer:--Body, orange floss silk, a small +topping for tail with a fibre or two of mallard, ribbed with fine gold +tinsel, and a rich brown-red cock's hackle from the tail up, not too +long in the fibres, the hackle to be a little black at the head when +rolled on; the wing of copper brown mallard with a strip of wood-duck +each side, and a topping over all; feelers of macaw, and a black ostrich +head. Hook CC. Should you rise a fish with this old favorite, and it +does not take, try him once or twice more with it, and no doubt you will +have him. If he does not hook himself with it, change it for a light +blue one, the body the blue colour of the sky, legs the same, and a +mallard wing ribbed with gold. + +You now come to the sea, at "Bushfoot." There is a pool here into which +the tide ebbs and flows, and at times the fish are plunging over and +over on the top of each other, which the fishermen net when this is the +case. When the tide is out the Salmon will rise and take the fly in it +freely, as the flowing of the river into it pushes out the brackish +water before it, and when the tide is flowing, before it enters the +pool, is the best time,--in fact, this is the best place to stay at for +the sole purpose of being enabled to fish, as the river above is so low +in summer, except after rains, that it is useless to try. + +The Castle of old "Dunluce" is near Bushfoot, it stands on a rock close +to the cliff on the mainland in the sea, and is built on the surface or +top of the rock, close to its very edge all round, and the corner stones +appear to have been brought from the Giant's Causeway. There is a deep +chasm between the castle and the land, over which the range wall of the +old bridge is yet standing; the bridge itself is completely gone. This +narrow wall, about fourteen inches wide, may be easily crossed going +into the castle, but on recrossing it to the land side it strikes terror +into the heart. Some years ago I visited this old ruin, and crossed the +wall into it quite easily and fearlessly, but on my returning, to my +great surprise, I was afraid of my life to recross it. The cause was, no +doubt, that the wall and yawning chasm appeared more under me on coming +out than on going in, the wall being narrow and the chasm deep. At last +I crept over it very slowly on my hands and knees, and it was with +difficulty I reached the land. As I sat panting on the grass, looking +towards the dark old pile, I vowed that the walls of "Dunluce Castle" +should never again hold me. I was most likely stricken with a fairy +talisman. + +The "GIANT'S CAUSEWAY" is two miles from Bushfoot, where the stranger +may spend a few pleasant days with a kind friend, amidst rocks and +caves, glens and tremendous cliffs, causeways, chasms, and pillars of +wondrous height. These rows of pillars stand up the face of the cliff, +which is 360 feet high, from the base of which three broad causeways +extend, of honeycomb shape, nine hundred feet into the sea. The pillars +of these low causeways are generally six, seven, and many three and +nine-sided, and as even as if they had been cut with a chisel; they rest +one upon another in joints, the top one round to fit into the one +beneath like a socket, and the pillars are so closely packed, that you +can hardly get the point of a knife between them. There are other +pillars in the face of the cliffs, called the Giant's Loom, the Giant's +Chair, the Giant's Organ, and the Giant's Well. The natural wildness +and grandeur of these and the adjoining promontories, exceed any thing +that can be imagined. + + + + +THE RIVER BANN. + + +Portna is considered the best ford for Salmon and Trout fishing on this +noble stream. At this place, which is merely an inn, kept by a Mr. +Moore, for the accommodation of anglers, the river, which is a large +one, falls over ledges of rock, large stones, broad fords of gravel, +deep gorges in places, rushing down inclined plains, which spread into +currents five and six feet deep, dimpling as it flows along, where large +trout may be seen taking down the natural insects, and making the +surface boil. These places might be swarming, were it not for the +"cruives," with the largest salmon in Britain. + +During the summer months you may take a good many salmon here, but on +some days you cannot see a fish, as they are mostly stopped at the +"cuts." These salmon traps are called "cuts," in Ireland, and "cruives," +in Scotland. I need not explain their formation, as they are too well +known to the fly fishers. Notwithstanding all this, the generous renter +of the fishery at the Leap of Coleraine, gives liberty to all anglers +visiting the Bann, from March to August, and the courtesy and politeness +which he evinces towards gentlemen, causes him to take no notice of +their fishing with the salmon fly till September. I have been informed +by Mr. Moore, the inn-keeper, at Portna, that there is now a "Queen's +Gap" made in the "cuts," on Sundays, to allow some of the salmon to +escape. This is a great boon to the angler. + +The town of Kilrea is a mile from Portna, where there is a good inn, +kept by an Englishman, a Mr. Adcock. At the bridge, which is half a mile +from the town, there is a famous throw for a salmon; you let off the +line, while standing on the bridge, to where the fish lie, a little +lower down. There are capital streams for salmon near "Moor Lodge," a +delightful spot, down as far as "Bevanaher" ford. The boatmen take you +through the gorges in racehorse style. The man brings the bow of the +boat to the very edge of the rapid, steadies her by making you sit down +with himself, and in a minute or two she shoots down the gorge in a +very pleasant manner into the broad ford below; when he returns with the +boat, he pulls her up the side of the stream. The Bann boatmen, I must +say, are very civil fellows, and charge moderately for their labour and +boats--half-a-crown a day, pot luck, and a smoke of tobacco--"an ould +fly, and a gut casting line, if it's no use to your honor." + +THE FLIES to suit the Bann are as follows:-- + +No. 1. Body claret pig hair, ribbed with gold tinsel, orange tag, a +topping, and a little wood-duck for tail; a dark claret hackle rolled up +to the shoulder, and a blue jay above it; mallard wings, mixed with +bustard--the dark small spotted bustard feather is best for this river, +the light coloured for Scotland and Wales--golden pheasant tail and +neck, peacock wing, wood-duck feelers of blue and yellow macaw, and a +black head. Hook No. 8 or 9. This is a great favourite. + +No. 2. Scarlet body, scarlet hackle, and mallard wing, gold over body, +topping for tail, and one in the centre of the wings, jay at the +shoulder, and a black head. Hook No. 8. Large for the Spring, and B, BB +for June and July. + +No. 3. Fiery brown body, brown-red hackle, gold tinsel, mallard wings +with a little wood-duck and golden pheasant neck feather mixed with it, +macaw feelers, and a small topping for tail mixed with wood-duck. Hook +BB or G. Grouse hackle round the shoulder, and a black head. + +No. 4. Body yellow pig hair, half way up from the tail, the remainder +wine purple or dark blue, a purple hackle over it, and a claret one at +the shoulder; blue head picked out the colour of the sky; two toppings +in the centre of wings of mallard and brown turkey mixed, and macaw +feeler. Hook No. 9. Silver tinsel over the body. + +No. 5. Orange body, broad gold tinsel, dark brown-red hackle over it; +strips of wood-duck and neck feather for tail; strips of spotted Argus +pheasant; a dark full mallard wing with two neck feathers in the centre, +and a black head. Hook No. 9, BB, or 8. Large for high water or deep +places. + +No. 6. A puce body, ribbed with silver tinsel and gold twist, topping in +the tail mixed with wood-duck fibres; puce hackle struck full up to the +head, blue jay here, and kingfisher each side of the wings, which are +of a very nice mixture of Argus pheasant small spotted feather, peacock +wings, mallard, teal, guinea hen, kite tail, pheasant tail, blue and +orange macaw, scarlet macaw, green parrot tails, Ibis, and silver +pheasant tail (the hen); feelers of macaw, a topping over all, with the +crest feather of the Hymalean pheasant, and a bronze head. Hook, Nos. 9 +and 8. These, with the eleven flies in the Plates, and No. 12, early in +the Spring, with the five Shannon flies, are all "first-rate killers," +indeed, the fourteen painted flies are all capital ones for this river. + +THE TROUT FLIES are generally the same as those in the catalogue of +flies for the season. In the spring they run rather large, but in the +summer months they are used very small. Olive flies of various hues are +very much used, and a fly with a green body and the feather off the root +of the landrail's wing; another with orange body, black-red hackle, and +woodcock wings. Hooks No. 8, in spring, Nos. 10 and 12, in summer. The +various browns are capital in the early season, and the green olive, +sooty olive, hare's ear and olive, brown and olive flies made full in +the wings, and to be longer than the body. There are no hackles used in +the spring, till a little further on in the season, then hackle flies +are used; the wren tails of different sorts are very much prized, and +the light red-brown grouse hackle, and yellow body; a blue body fly, +black hackle, and wings of the starling; a gosling green olive fly, with +mallard wings, mixed with landrail, and a hook No. 8 or 10; a fly with a +yellow body of silk, red hackle dyed yellow, starling wing mixed with +mallard, and a little partridge tail; the golden wren is good; a very +small black gnat is good; and the never-failing "blue blow." The body of +this little fly, as used on the Bann, is mole's fur mixed with golden +olive, picked out at the shoulder, and a black bird's wing, to be fished +with on warm sultry days. These flies are killers, and the trout are +fond of them, which will be found excellent and plentiful at Portna. + +On the shores of Lough Neagh, towards the Bridge of Toome, where the +river issues out of the lake, there is good angling in the Drake season +in June. There is a small inn at Toome Bridge, where the angler can +procure a boat. It is but four miles north of "Randalstown," on the +Belfast and Ballymena Railway. I have spent many a day on these waters, +when a young man. + +From Shane's Castle, the Earl O'Neil's, to the bridge, and from the town +of Antrim to Shane's Castle, there are large trout taken with the fly; +at the end of May, and throughout June, the whole surface of the lake +along the shore is covered with the natural fly. The Drake, in the +Plate, would be a good one made on a large size hook, to throw amongst +them. Earl O'Neil grants permission to gentlemen to fly-fish in the +demesne of Shane's Castle, by sending a note from the inn at +Randalstown, to the Steward. + +There are numerous rivers running into Lough Neagh, from five different +counties, which it borders. The Bann rises in the Mourne Mountains, in +the County of Down, and passing through the Lough, issues out of it at +the Bridge of Toome, forming a stupendous body of fresh water. The Lough +is twenty-three miles long, and twelve in width. + +To get at the various small trout rivers running into all these great +lakes in the north of Ireland, I would recommend, to gain information +of the cross-roads, Leigh's Road Book of Ireland and Dublin Railway +Guide. + +The angler will now take his departure from the north and proceed to +Dublin, _via_ Belfast and Draugheda, at this place he comes to the river +Boyne, where he may spend a few pleasant days at "Old Bridge," a place +about three miles up the river at the "weirs." There is good Salmon +fishing at this place when the tide is out, and on the flow of the tide +he will take capital Grilse and Sea-Trout. + +For the Boyne, the best flies are claret, brown, olive, green, orange, +and black, with brown mallard wings, and turkey tail feathers. Plain +ones in general are best. + + + + +LAKES OF WESTMEATH. + + +After leaving Draugheda, the angler will reach Dublin by rail in a very +short time, where he will take his place in the railway carriage for +Mullingar, the county town of Westmeath; here, he is in the centre of +numerous fine lakes, well stored with large trout that will take the fly +most freely in May and June; the whole country round this place is most +pleasingly diversified by romantic sites, gentlemen's mansions, and +extensive lakes. + +There are two lakes in the neighbourhood, or environs of Mullingar, +which are "Lough Ennel" and "Lough Owel," to the north of the town; the +first named one is the best for large trout. There are good boats and +fishermen to be had here. A little farther northward is Lough Iron, and +the river Jenny, which takes its course to the Shannon. The best lake of +them all is "Derevaragh," still further to the north; the town of +Castlepollard is the best station to stay to fish this fine lake; the +trout run twelve and fourteen pounds in it. + +Lough Lane and Dromore are close to the last named lake. The angling in +May is most excellent, with the green drake; it is called the drake +season, and at this period the largest fish are caught; the green drake +which I have described, is the right sort for the lakes, with large +whole upright wings double the ordinary size. + +The trout flies in general are brown, green, grey, red, black, hare's +ear and yellow, hare's ear and brown, hare's ear and olive, fiery +brown, claret, orange, and yellow flies, and in rough weather gaudy +grilse flies are good. + +The flexible minnow would be a capital bait, drawn after the boat, when +the trout are not inclined to take the fly.--See an angling tour of the +lakes by "Jeffery Green Drake." + +There is very good salmon and trout fishing to be had in the County +Tipperary, at the town of Cahir, situated on the Suir; Kilcommon Cottage +on the river side, is a place of great beauty, and the angler may amuse +himself in the demesne of Lord Cahir, which contains 560 acres; this +place and Clonmel may be reached by railway from Dublin, and on arriving +at Kilkenny there is very good fishing in the river Barrow at the town, +on the road to Cahir. + +There is a small river called Killmacow, two miles above Waterford, +running into the Suir, in which there is beautiful trout fishing, in the +Spring and June. + +There are some nice streams in Wexford, for salmon and trout fishing. +The "Slaney," at Scarrawalsh Bridge, near the Barony Forth, is capital +for sea trout, in August and the early Spring; there is good trout +fishing the higher you proceed up this fine river. + +In Lord Courtown's demesne, beyond Tara Hill, there is good grilse and +sea trout fishing, the river runs through the town of Ballycannew, a few +miles above Gorey; Lord Courtown's is not far from Gorey, who will allow +any gentleman to angle with the fly in his charming demesne. They say +that his lordship can contrive to "fish these fish" into the kettle +alive out of the river, part of which runs under the mansion; I cannot +tell how true this may be, the river runs close to the house, in which +there are plenty of salmon and trout. + +The flies used here are rather gaudy, sea trout size; and the list of +flies for the season will answer admirably for trout fishing. + +From the above place the angler may conveniently visit the rivers in the +County Wicklow, which are all trout streams, arriving at Arklow, on the +river Ovoca. + +There is a very nice river[D] running along the southern side of the +Wicklow Mountains, passing by a place called "Little Aghrim," from +whence to the wooden bridge, three miles from Arklow, there is excellent +trout fishing in March, April, and May; it passes through a long lough +or piece of deep water, out of which the trout issue in the spring into +the river; there is no obstruction on its banks from the Wooden Bridge +Inn up to Aghrim. There is a bridge crosses the river three miles up +from the Wooden Bridge, where the angler may fish up to Aghrim or down +to the "Meetings." The Wooden Bridge is called the "Lower Meetings of +the Waters,"--this is the most beautiful place of any in the +neighbourhood of the Vale of Ovoca, as you can see fine vales from the +mount behind the Inn; although from the grounds of Howard Castle, where +the little and great Avon meet, the views are sublime,--this is Moore's +"Sweet Vale of Ovoca, where the bright waters meet." + +From the town of Rathdrum to the Meetings there is good fly fishing in +the spring; through the vale there is no angling in the river, in +consequence of the copper mine water running into it from the hills on +each side, Cronebane, and Balymurtagh. + +There is very little fishing in the river Dargle, as the stream is so +small, but the scenery is magnificent, particularly in the vicinity of +Powers Court Waterfall, it is about two miles and a half from the +village of Powers Court. + +The best way to go from Dublin to fish the rivers "Avon" and "Derry," +would be through Bray and Rathdrum; begin here to fish the Avon, to the +Bridge at Howard Castle; and from the Wooden Bridge angle up the Derry +to Aghrim, I never saw so many small trout in my life as there are in +this beautiful stream, in the spring; there are numbers of small rivers +descending the Wicklow Mountains, towards the east, south, and west, in +which the trout run small. + +We will return to Dublin and pay a visit to the once celebrated "salmon +leap," at Leixlip, a few miles west of the City--this is a charming +place, where a few days may be spent to advantage; the groves and rocks, +and the romantic glen are the theme of admiration. And the Park of +Castletown, the most beautiful in the Kingdom; from the ancient castle +at the end of the town there are views of the river and waterfall. The +salmon fishing has been spoiled here by the sewers of the City running +into the Liffey. + +At New Bridge, on the banks of the Liffey, the station before you come +to Kildare, on the Cork railroad, close to the celebrated "Curragh of +Kildare," a race course of 3000 acres of verdant plain, there is capital +trout fishing in April and May, and pretty fair sport may be had +throughout the summer; the flies to suit the river Liffey are very +small, and those little ones in my list for the season will answer well. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[Footnote D: The River Derry.] + + + + +THE RIVER LEE, AT CORK, + + +Would be as good a place as any in Ireland "to go to fish," were it not +for the "weirs," and foul play in many ways, which is practised all the +way up, on the poor salmon; there is some little sport to be had in it +in the spring, and after heavy rains. The flies to suit it are rather +plain and small, blue, grey, brown, claret, and green; mallard wings, +mixed with a little golden pheasant tail and neck feathers; blue macaw +feelers, black head, and mixed tails like the wings. Hook B CC, in high +water BB and No. 9. + + + + +SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND. + + +We will bid adieu to old Ireland for a season, and its fair city Dublin, +"with the blue sky over it," and step into the steam boat at Kingston +for Holyhead, seat ourselves in a carriage, and trundle off to bonny +Scotland--a country of many waters, stored with fine fish; we cross the +Tweed, at Berwick, of pastoral fame, and dash into "Auld Reekey" with +flying colours in no time. + +The beautiful city of Edinburgh must not be left without viewing it from +end to end, as it is worth while to spend a day or two in it, if you +have not been there, were it only to inspect its monuments and +antiquities, which are numerous, in fact, the city at large is a +complete curiosity. From here the angler will be able to take rail for +Perth, on the banks of the famous "river Tay;" and as the line touches +on Stirling, should it be convenient, there might be a day or two spent +on the Forth. There are abundance of trout about four miles up the +river, and some salmon; small plain flies suit it best. + + + + +THE RIVER TAY. + + +This beautiful salmon river is the principal one in Perthshire, in its +course it expands into Loch Tay, on leaving which it finds itself a +channel and becomes rapid for miles; it has a long course, passing the +towns of Dunkeld and Perth, and falls into the sea at Dundee. + +The river Erne, after a long and rapid course falls into the Tay below +Perth. There is also the "Timel," at the pass of Cillecrankey, on the +road to Inverness from Dunkeld, and is fourteen miles from the latter +place, there is a small inn close to the river, in which there is good +trout fishing; the coach from Perth stops here to change horses and +breakfast; it is a fine rushing stream. And also the "Keith," at Blair +Dummond, where there is a very high waterfall, the sound of which can be +heard at some distance; it falls into the Tay. + +There is excellent angling for salmon and sea trout in the river Tay, +five or six miles above Perth, in September and October; the white trout +are in abundance in this river in the latter month; the salmon run very +large in this water, in April, May, and June; and are best taken with +large salmon flies of rather a sombre hue. + +At the town of Dunkeld there is famous fishing in the Spring and Autumn. +From Dundee to Perth and Dunkeld, through the "Carse of Gowrie," the +Valley of the Tay is one of the most beautiful parts of all Scotland, in +my estimation; at both sides of the river it is interspersed with +excellent gentlemen's seats, and beautiful grounds. + +There is a fishery a little above the Bridge of Perth, which is very +productive. + +The flies to suit this fine river are:-- + +No. 1. Brown pig hair bodies, ribbed with gold, dark brown-red hackle, +wings light brown spotted turkey tail, red tag, and a scarlet joint +above it; the body to be made long and taper. Hook No. 8. Rather large +for the spring. + +No. 2. A bronze peacock harl body, ribbed with gold tinsel, a brown-red +hackle, and wings of mallard mixed with hen pheasant tail, the tail of +the golden pheasant, red tail of mohair cut short, and the body to be +thin. No. 9 hook. + +No. 3. Brown mohair body, with a long red-brown spotted grouse hackle; +the wings a mixture of mallard, brown turkey, and a little hen pheasant +tail. Hook No. 8 or 9. + +No. 4. A puce mohair body ribbed with silver, purple hackle over it, +yellow tail of small topping, and a yellow hackle round the shoulder; +wings of golden pheasant tail, with a little spotted bustard, a topping +over all, and a black head. Hook No. 8 or 9. (A piece of wood-duck each +side.) + +No. 5. An orange body ribbed with black silk and gold tinsel, topping in +the tail, and a black-red hackle over it, (a hackle with the black +streak running all the way through it); scarlet tag and tail; wings +light brown turkey tail, rather lighter at the tips, a few fibres of +wood-duck each side, the same quantity of bustard, and a bronze head. +Hook No. 9, or for high water, No. 7. + +This fly will be found an excellent killer in the Tay, or any other +river in Scotland. + +These, with the twelve painted and engraved flies, no man can desire +better. Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 11, will be found excellent in low water, and +Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, in high water. + +THE SEA-TROUT FLIES are orange bodies, mixed wings, jay at shoulder, +silver tinsel, and a small topping for tail. Hook _fff_ or C, say No. +6, Kendal. + +Blue body, black hackle ribbed with silver, and mallard wings. Hook CC. + +Green body, black hackle, gold twist, and dark brown turkey wings. + +Light brown body, red hackle, gold twist, two fibres of red Ibis for +tail, and glede wings. Hook No. 6 or 7. In low water they take them +rather small, with the tinsel, of course. + +Hare's ear body, ribbed with silver twist, a greyish dark hackle, the +colour of the dark fur on the ear, mallard wings, and tail of the same. +Make another fly mixed with orange and yellow mohair. + +A black fly ribbed with silver tinsel, black wing with white tips, black +hackle, and a yellow head and tail. Hook C. + +It would be as well to try very small gaudy flies occasionally, as you +may rise a grilse during the time you are fishing for white-trout. A +grilse loves to rise at a middling gaudy fly after leaving the sea. +Blue, green, and red flies are all good. + +I will give three more favorites that will not miss:-- + +No. 1. Body brown claret colour, mixed with the fur of hare's ear, +ribbed with silver twist, a short black hackle, wings rather light brown +mallard, and a black head. Hook, Green Drake size, or No. 6. + +No. 2. A black body, tipped with orange silk, ribbed with silver twist, +a black hackle, and dark brown turkey tail wings. Hook No. 6 or C, +varied with blue body and black-red hackle. + +No. 3. A blue dun body, a dun hackle ribbed with silver twist, tail two +fibres of mallard, and grey mallard for wings. Hook C, or No. 6. A fly +with an olive body, and one with yellow and mallard wings, are good. +These flies will be found great killers where the fish are plentiful, +with a good ripple on the water, and would do admirably on the Dee and +Don, at Aberdeen. + + + + +THE DEE AND DON. + + +These rivers run into the sea at Aberdeen, and are excellent for Salmon +and Trout fishing--the Dee for Salmon, and the Don more for Trout, which +are most delicious for the table; they cut as pink as Salmon. The +white-trout fishing is good here in October, and the flies I have just +given for the Tay will kill admirably in these rivers; and for salmon, +will be capital ones, made a size or two larger. When I visited that +country a few years back, I walked up the Dee one evening, and at a +shallow ford, above the bridge, there were two men "stroke-hauling" the +salmon as they run up out of the pool below, and which they called their +rented fishery; they rushed into the stream with a sort of net in their +hands, and had them out in quick time. As the fish run, the water did +not appear to cover their backs. I was told, were it not for this +practice, the river would be swarming. + + + + +THE RIVER SPEY. + + +This splendid Salmon river runs through Elginshire, and a nobler one +there is not to be found for fishing with the salmon fly, particularly +in high water, and in the large pools when the water is low. In summer +there is little sport to be had, except in these pools, with a good +ripple, and towards the sea, from the bridge at Fochabers, a capital +station, with an excellent inn. Early in the morning and late in the +evening, are the best times in the heat of summer. I had a fly sent me +some years past, by McPherson Grant, about the size of C or drake size, +with which he killed a salmon, twenty pounds weight, in the Spey. The +body of the fly was made of yellow silk, red cock's hackle, toucan tail +ribbed with gold, jay at the shoulder, a neat gaudily mixed wing, +feelers of blue and yellow macaw, and a small black head. It was one of +my flies, which, if made on large size hooks, will kill anywhere. The +above little fly is just the sort for low water, and should be adopted, +made very small, in the summer months. The salmon should be thrown for +with this sort of fly, in rapid currents rushing into deep holes, where +the fish lie. The winged larva would do well in such places for grilse +and sea-trout. In the spring, flies the size of No. 12, are used, with +long thin silk bodies of orange, yellow, red, and green colours, red +hackles, jay and mixed wings, with red feathers prevailing in them, and +black heads, ribbed with gold and silver tinsel. The fifteen painted +Salmon Flies will be found great killers in this river, varied in size +according to the state of the water. + +There is a river which runs past the town of Banff, the Keith, in which +there is good angling a few miles up from the broad part of the water. +Guinea hen and jay hackles kill here, with grouse and brown body, +mallard wings mixed with turkey tail, and small size hooks, say CC or +B. + + + + +THE FINDHORN + + +is another fine Salmon river after heavy rains, which swell it to a +prodigious size, as shown by its channel in low water, high ridges of +sand and gravel being thrown up on each side of its banks at every flat +running ford in its course to the sea. The flies to suit it are:-- + +No. 1. Brown body, gold tinsel, wings copper-coloured mallard, and a +brown grouse hackle. Hook No. 8, and BB. + +No. 2. Body brown floss silk, ribbed with silver, large motley brown +cock's tail feather over the body, and a spotted turkey tail for wings. +No. 9 hook. + +No. 3. Body, puce floss silk ribbed with silver, black-red hackle, a +mixed wing of glede, turkey tail, and mallard, with a topping over all, +and a dark claret or purple hackle. Hook No. 9. + +No. 4. Light puce body with a hackle of the same colour, topping for +tail, and a gaudily mixed wing, (not too much so) broad silver. No. 8 +hook. + +No. 5. Yellow body, puce hackle, mixed wings, rib of silver, and tail a +topping. Hook No. 9. These, with the painted ones, will do the work to a +nicety in this dashing river. + +The River Nairne, in these quarters, is not a bad one for grilse and +salmon fishing in September; the town of Nairne, is the most convenient +station, beginning a few miles up, and proceeding higher; the small +salmon flies that I have given for the Spey will suit this river well. + + + + +RIVERS AND LAKES ADJACENT TO FORT WILLIAM, ON THE CALEDONIAN CANAL. + + +These wild and majestic scenes in the heart of the Highlands of Scotland +are without doubt splendid, either to look upon or for the purpose of +salmon and trout fishing, the recollections of such to the intelligent +and contemplative mind of the gentle angler who has visited this region, +must be lasting and agreeable. [E]The sail down the Clyde from Glasgow, +passing Dumbarton Castle (on a rock in the water to the right), to +Greenock, is most enchanting; opposite this fine town the angler will +observe a grand expanse of deep and blue salt water, bordered in the +distance with mountains dark and high, filling the imagination with awe, +while pacing the decks of the frail but well appointed little steam boat +Helen McGregor in the gloom, as she creaks away through briny silvered +waves of lakes, estuaries, and straits, to Caledonia's "noblest +work"--the Great Canal. Rounding a rough northern head land, where seven +currents meet, of seas, sounds, and straits, Crenan in the wake, +compassing the shore in Jura Sound, the "little Helen" struggling with +the swelling tide, appeared to be standing still though at full speed; +Loch Etive, on the starboard--into whose bosom, Awe's serpentine waters +steal at solitary "Bunaw;" Lismore in the distance, Mull in our wake, +due West--the rapid subsiding--through it "the fair one" tripped +gallantly. In these "meetings of the waters," what oceans of salmon +sported and played at large in their blue and fresh element, far from +the wily bars! The "Heroine" seemed at once to be stepping up hills from +lock to lock, till she levelled the base of "Ben Nevis;" close to which +mighty mountain, the "fair one" squatted for the night. Glad enough were +her living freight to get on firm footing, and wend their way across a +mossy plain, without a rolling stone, to a little house under a hill, +that kept beds "well aired," and "usquebaugh," for travellers. At the +dawn of morning, through the haze, could be descried, "Fair Helen," +smoking--her steam was up--sitting, "sidey for sidey," by the lofty Ben, +the sight of which, to look up at, was staggering. He had yet his +nightcap on of hazy grey, but enough of the giant hill could be denoted +that his base on that side was hewn away, facilitating the great track. +This morning, away went the "fair one," rattling like "sticks a +breaking." Hurrah for Fort William--a voice, "and the Camerons of +Lochiel,"--here we are at Crystal Laggan, Lochiel, and Lochey's +excellent waters for the Salmon Trout--(I will give the flies to suit +them a little further on). "Fair Helen" began her movements slowly for +some time, creeping through locks, o'er hills, in basins--Macomer on the +starboard,--Lochiel, farewell!--now skimming into saltless "Lochey's" +(famed for its ancient mountain clans) soft and balmy waters; through +the lake she dashed, breast high--a strait ahead--steaming by Balalister +at seven knots by the log, soundings the deep nine, "Fair Helen" entered +the gorge, and now rushing down an inclined plain, to the fear of the +timid, and delight of the stouthearted, double quick did run the "fair +one," making up for lost time experienced in the "meeting of the +waters"--through lock gates, up hills, &c., now through an embankment, +nearing Fort Augustus, and the head of Lochness, down she settled +between two stupendous lock gates. "What aw-fu' gates!" What work +bestowed on them--what an enormous depth are they--the wet and muddy +sides of which beat chilly. Down, "down below," went the "fair one," +till she levelled the golden waters of--"O, that lovely lake,"--into +which she slipped like a fairy elf. After her cold incarceration, "Helen +the Fair" tripped merrily down the centre of the "fathomless Lochness," +the sun breaking, beamed out upon us cheeringly after the chill and hazy +morning. Like looking-glass did that sun-lit lake appear, stretching +away before us, losing itself in the distance, bordered by hills and +mountains on either side, till on the larboard was seen Morrison's +lonely glen and meandering stream. We neared the bay, sounded whistle, +and lowered steam. A few minutes more, and off went the Helen McGregor, +making head like a waddling duck through the valley of golden[F] waters. +Hush! The mountain sylph is heard in the cabin. Hush! by the powers, +it's Phillips, warbling the incantation of the wizard of the glen. + + "Farewell to the mountain, + And sun-lighted vale." + +O, shade of Wilson! the soul of Scottish song. Angler, may you rest in +peace. On the starboard was observed the "Falls of Fyres," descending, +perpendicularly, over a craggy precipice--most curious. "Bonny Helen" +slid smoothly along, till, at the "heel of the evening," we entered the +last embankment of Caledonia's Grand Canal, just where the beautiful +river Ness issues out of "that lake," opening into a lovely and fertile +valley, in the centre of which is a boat upset, an antiquity, covered +with motley trees. A few minutes more and we were safely landed at the +quay of the fair and sweet metropolis of the ancient Highlands, +Inverness, seated on a hill above the river. O, I sigh for the days that +will never return! High and airy rock, I split upon you twice, steering +northwise fra' bonny Dundee, through the "Carse o' Gowrie," by Laburnam, +to famed Dunkeld, on Tay's noble waters; Blair Athol and Fore's Macbeth +crossed the source of Spay, through a waste and dreary plain, with +villages far apart, where ran those weirdy thinly kilted lads to see the +"four-in-hand;" up hill, down dale, and heathered moor we steered, till +at length we galloped towards the glooming, by the graves of dark +Culloden's blood-stained field--nearing the city, on went the drag, and +over a well macadamised road, "knapped" by the hardy highland wight, we +hurried into Inverness. Alas! this bronchial asthma, that shuts me from +that fishing. Fond memory brings the light of other days around me. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote E: The Author's trip.] + +[Footnote F: There is a kind of slimy weed, of a yellow colour, that is +produced at the bottom of the lake, which causes that appearance, and is +injurious to fly fishing in the river.] + + + + +SALMON FLIES FOR FORT WILLIAM, &c. &c. + + +The flies to suit the various waters surrounding Fort William are +generally of a medium size and middling gaudy. The engraved ones in my +list, for Salmon in general, from No. 2 to 11, will kill well. The list +for the season for Trout. + +No. 1. Light blue body, rib of silver, guinea hen hackle, blue jay, +topping in tail; wings, teal, mallard, guinea hen rump feather, peacock +wing feather, and blue and yellow feelers of macaw. No. 9 hook, or BB. + +No. 2. A small size fly like the above, varied with black floss body. A +good sort for the Lochy. Hook C or CC. + +No. 3. A fly like the first, varied in the body thus: yellow tag, silver +tints, and a small topping for tail; a blue mohair joint, then a red +one, another blue joint, then an orange one under the fly at the +shoulder, and a blue head. Hook No. 9 or BB; a C for lake Trout. + +No. 4. A claret fly, with wings and tail like the first one, varied +with yellow-brown body and hackle, and ribbed with gold. BB hook, and CC +for lake Trout, with a bronze head. + +No. 5. A fly with grass-green floss silk, ribbed with gold, black-red +hackle, and blue head; the wings and tail like the first. Vary the body +with different greens. Hooks from CC up to No. 9. + +No. 6. A black body, with black legs, silver tinsel and cock of the +north rump feathers for the wings; some call it the "copperkeilsey." +Hook C, CC and B. This is the celebrated Kenloch of Kenloch. + + + + +SALMON FLIES FOR THE NESS. + + +No. 1. Body half black and yellow, a jay and purple hackle ribbed with +silver, orange head, mallard, peacock wing and jungle cock wings. Hook +BB. + +No. 2. Body black hair, orange tag, ribbed with gold and silver, black +hackle, jay at the shoulder, wings mixed, of guinea hen, teal, two small +tipped feathers, and two toppings over all a little longer, tail a small +topping, and a bronze head. Hook B or BB. This will be found a great +killer in the Ness and Beauley, a beautiful stream at the head of the +Murray Firth. + +No. 3. Body yellow-brown pig hair, ribbed with gold, small, topping for +tail, red cock's hackle and blue jay, wings of golden pheasant tail, +mixed with mallard, neck feather, teal, and guinea hen, green parrot and +macaw feelers, and a black head. Hook No. 9 or B; for low water, C. This +is a capital fly for either the Ness or Beauley. These, with the painted +flies, made small, will suit well. + +There is a kind of yellowish slimy weed on the bottom of the Ness which +proceeds from Loch Ness, that is injurious to the propagation of the +salmon of late years, and it affects the fly fishing considerably, to +the great disappointment and vexation of the good anglers of the north. + + + + +THE RIVER SHIN. + + +Classic Shin, on whose heath-clad banks and flowing waters the great and +good fly fishers roam, who never saw "Kelt of Baggit" there--the haunt +of monarchs of the sea, and shepherd swains that watch His flocks, and +feed His Dams--the theme of poetess, and the learned. O, "Ephemera," how +beautifully written is that "Book of the Salmon;" how exquisitely +delineated that "Ova;" how admirably that "golden fish," which bounds up +falls and cataracts in that purling "meandering" stream; how charming to +gaze upon that lovely "Goddess of the Brooks"--the famed Ondine--how +rightly represented. Oh! excellent "Ephemera"--my good and constant +friend--the "great and good Will Blacker's" tears (I blush) descend like +rain through these sky lights, and damp the very sheets my palsied pen +doth blot. Alas! well-a-day-that noble salmon fishing--what sport! These +lean and bellows'd sides are winded--this flattened chest, once full, +now dented--these calves, once plump, now thin and gone--these shins, +once clad, are now protruding. The "puss" more chronic heaves, yes, I +still can fish! These cheeks, how pale (their bones "can't grind"), once +rosy, the pride of more than "Reva's" lovely blooming rose, my blessed +bosom friend, my wife, whose lamp is trimmed. O, "Ephemera!" friend, +when shall we meet, with rod in hand, on pure and crystal Shin?-- + + "When summer comes, + The heather bells entice, + Our feet to roam. + The mournful dove, + Within the dale invites, + To peace and love." + +O, summer's glorious sun! I await thee, to tan this shrivelled, shorn +hide. O! come, and regenerate this sapless tree with heavenly warmth. + + My heart's in the Highlands, + My heart is not here; + My heart's in the Highlands, + Chasing the deer, + Chasing the wild deer, + And following the roe, + My heart's in the Highlands, + Wherever I go. + +I cannot add a fly to the list for the Shin in the "Book of the Salmon," +by "Ephemera," except that I submit to the notice of the great salmon +fishers of Shin those model flies in my list for trial, which, no doubt, +will kill. I never fished the Shin, although I have been twice near it. +Mr. Young, of Invershin, the renter of the river, will show gentlemen +angling there every possible facility, civility, and politeness. The +"Queen's Gap," in the cruives, is lifted on sabbath days. + + + + +THE RIVER THURSO. + + +The Thurso, famed for its fresh run salmon throughout the year, is the +most northern river in Scotland. The town of Thurso, in Caithness-shire, +is the best station, and the route, from Aberdeen to Wick. + +The salmon flies for Thurso are rather of a plain and sombre cast, +varying in size through the fishing months. The river is remarkably high +and full in the spring, in consequence of the melting of the snow and +ice, and at that period requires large flies, like No. 12; further on in +the season they are much smaller in size, like Nos. 1, 2, 3, to No. 11, +which are capital ones for it, and the other engravings are likewise +good in low water for the fresh run grilse. Throughout the summer months +the following are also good for this river:-- + +No. 1. Body black floss silk, orange tag, tip of gold, small topping for +tail, black-red hackle, mallard wings mixed with peacock wing, a topping +over all, and a black head. Hook BB, B. + +No. 2. Body claret silk, claret hackle, ribbed with gold, a short +topping tail, with silver tip, mallard wings mixed with tipped feathers, +macaw feelers, and a black head. Hook No. 9, or B. This is an admirable +fly for lake trout, on C hook. + +No. 3. Body yellow-brown mohair, red hackle, a short topping for tail, +ribbed with gold, claret hackle round the shoulder, and mixed wings +rather grey, and inclined to be gaudy. No. 9 hook, or BB. C, for lake +trout. + +No. 4. A black fly, with yellow head, tail of mohair, black hackle, +ribbed with broad silver, wings black turkey tail with white tip, varied +with brown turkey tail. A fly of each is useful. Hook No. 8 or 9. + +No. 5. A green fly, both body and hackle, mixed wings rather gaudy, +ribbed with gold, orange head, topping in tail, varied with a black-red +hackle, and light green silk body ribbed with gold twist. Hook B or BB. + +No. 6. A dark brown fly, brown red hackle and body, ribbed with gold +twist, and glede wings, varied with brown spotted turkey tail feather or +mallard, one of each. Hook No. 8 or 9, B for low water. + +There is a good deal of guinea hen and teal feathers used in the flies +of these northern rivers, which appears to be an improvement, with +jungle-cock and wood-duck. + +There is a river issues out of Loch Naver, a short way from the source +of the Thurso, which falls into the sea in the same direction west of +the town of Thurso; it has a winding course, and would be a very good +river for salmon were it well preserved. + +There are numerous rivers running into the firths on the east side of +Sutherland, which produce salmon and fine trout that run up from the +sea:--the Wick and Helmsdale in Caithness, the Brora near Golspie, the +Dornoch into which the river Shin flows, Drummond and Loch Clash, +Dingwall river and lake, and the river Beauley at the head of the Murray +Firth. + +Lord Lovat is the owner of this river, and he is very willing to grant +permission to gentlemen to fish on sending in their cards. + + + + +THE RIVER ESK. + + +The North and South Esk are rivers of Forfar, falling into the sea near +Montrose. The North Esk is the best of the two, and affords excellent +angling for salmon and sea-trout in August and September. These rivers +may be visited by rail from Aberdeen or Dundee, at the present day. I +have been told by a gentleman residing at Forfar, that the North Esk was +sometimes swarming with salmon and grilse to an incredible extent. The +wealthy proprietor of the river will give instant permission to +gentlemen to fly fish, information of which he can obtain at the town of +Montrose, on the Great Northern Railroad. + +The flies to suit these rivers are small and plain. A small claret fly +with mallard wings; a fly with brown body and a furnace hackle, mallard +wings mixed with blue peacock neck feather, strips of mallard in tail, +and gold. Hook C or CC. + +An orange body fly of floss silk, a black hackle, gold, the wings mixed +of light and dark mallard, the light feathers are found under the wings +of the wild drake on the body, the brown copper-coloured ones on its +back growing down from the roots of the wings, (use floss silk for the +bodies). A black fly, with silver and black hackle, and teal wings mixed +with blue peacock neck. Hook C or CC. + + + + +LOCH LEVEN. + + +The trout fly fisher staying at Stirling, or its neighbourhood, on the +Great Northern, will find himself agreeably situated in the centre of +many beautiful streams, to which he may have easy access. At the town of +Kinross, by the head of Loch Leven, is a nice station for the lake, and +at the village of Largo, to fish the river Leven, below which place it +enters the sea at the mouth of the Firth of Forth. A short distance from +Largo, near the Promontory, is the town of Anstruther, famous for a +monument to the memory of "Maggy Lauder." I had the pleasure of once +seeing it. + +On the Edinburgh and Northern line from Stirling, is the town of Kettle, +on the "River Eden," a good station. There are grilse and sea-trout run +up it out of the bay of St. Andrew's, in the spring and autumn. Try +about the town of Cupar, and near its source, at "Auchtermuchty." + +The flies to suit it are, hare's ears, black hackles, red hackles, and +furnace flies, varied in size. + + + + +THE RIVER ALLAN. + + +This is a good stream for trout fishing; it enters the Forth below +Stirling, just above the town of Aloa. It has an extraordinary winding +course, flowing through a picturesque country, and famed in poetic lore +as "Allan's winding stream." + + "On the banks of Allan water, + When the sweet spring time did fall, + Lived the miller's lovely daughter, + The fairest of them all. + For his bride a soldier sought her, + And a winning tongue had he; + On the banks of Allan's water, + There was none so gay as she." + +Sea-trout and grilse run up the Allan in spring and autumn, which afford +good sport. The small trout flies in my list suit this river capitally. + +A few miles above Stirling there is good fishing up to Loch Katrine, +commencing below the town of Dumblane, on the Scottish Central Line, and +fish up to "Callander," on the east of Ben Lomond. Dumblane is famed as +the birth place of "Charming Jessie," in Burns' poetic muse-- + + "The sun had gan' doun + O'er the lofty Ben Lomond, + And left the red clouds + To preside o'er the scene, + When lanely I stray'd in + The calm summer gla'ming, + To muse on sweet Jessie, + The flower of Dumblane." + +There is another stream that runs down from "Aberfildy" to Stirling, in +which there is excellent trout fishing. It has a winding course, falling +over rocks, rushing through gorges, down precipices in its way, where it +forms deep holes for itself, which in the summer are the haunts of large +and fine trout. + +The flies to suit it are, small dark hare's ears, small black hackles, +red and black ants, browns, small duns, and hare's ear and yellow, the +blue blow, the brown midge, and in the spring, the March brown, and +stone fly, for large fish. + +There is a very nice stream running out of "Loch Lomond" into the river +Clyde, at the town of Dumbarton, in which there are sea-trout in the +spring and autumn. They take very small dun flies, silver greys and +black midges, the dark hare's ear, and red hackle. + +The picturesque Loch Lomond affords good trout fishing along its +gravelly shores, and near the islands. There are two flies that kill +well in it, which are as follows: Black body and hackle, tip of silver, +wings of the short bronze feathers of the back of the peacock. No. 6 +hook, or _fff_. The other one is, red body, red hackle, and a wing like +the first, both tailed with two fibres of the feather of the wings. I +received these two flies from a gentleman, one time when I was at +Glasgow, who confirmed them as "out-and-outers." + +There are fish called Pullen, very numerous in Loch Lomond, the shape +and size of herrings, which are also numerous in Loch Neagh, in the +north of Ireland. They sell in Belfast as "fresh water herrings." + +When a young man, I denominated Belfast my favorite home, among my dear +friends of the rod and gun. Newry, in the County of Down, was the home +of my ancestors. My first crying was behind "Cronebaun" hills, in the +County of Wicklow, near the "Ovoca," famed for "sweetness" and poetic +muse of Erin's humble bard, Tom Moore. + +Looking over the Wicklow sands, where many a poor fisherman foundered, +in the village[G] of "Red Cross," was the first sight my "mama" got of +me; like a cloistered nun, I was covered in a veil, which, they say, +would always keep me from the "briny depths." Many "crosses" have I had +since January 14th, 1814, the "hard winter" which corresponds with that +of last year. Mature years of experience make wise men. Forty and one +summers having rolled over my head, the dishevelled ringlets of which +are now sprinkled with "honorable grey"--bashful man, hide your +blushes--my ruddy tint flies when I tell you, my dear anglers, that my +sincere desire is to love every good man, as God has taught me. There +is no one I despise, disposed at all times to revere superiors, +condescend to those who perchance may be my inferiors, continent to kind +friends, and forgiving to enemies, if any. Unless we profit by charity, +all other profit seems void. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[Footnote G: The mansion is roofless, says "Rory O'More."] + + + + +LOCH AWE AND RIVER. + + +This celebrated lake, on the western side of Scotland, may be +conveniently reached from Glasgow. There are steam boats sail two or +three times a week up Loch Fine to Inverary, where there can be every +information gained respecting conveyances to the inn at Loch Awe, where +boats and men are to be had. It is a long and narrow lake in places, and +in summer most cheering and pleasant to the fly fishers resorting there. +Good angling may be found in the river running by Glenorchy into the +lake, where it again issues out of it, and is called the River Awe. + +It runs with a full and rapid stream, has but a short course, falling +into the salt water lake, or estuary, called "Etive," opposite the +island of Mull. + +There could be no better river or lake in the kingdom for salmon, were +it not for the "cruives," that, of course, "weed them all away," the +proprietor of which is most obliging to grant permission to gentlemen +anglers who visit it. The purity of these waters facilitates the +propagation of the salmon wonderfully, were they allowed ingress and +egress. When the fishing laws are altered, and a reformation made, there +will be grand fly fishing, as good as can be found in Norway. In the +neighbourhood of good salmon and trout fishing rivers, the people, whom +the anglers employ, are very much benefited, and particularly +innkeepers, on their banks, and in towns where there is not much +traffic. The angler's heart is "in fishing" wherever he goes. + +The salmon and trout flies to suit Loch Awe and river (my memoranda are +generally correct). + +No. 1. An original and most killing fly for salmon:--Body black ostrich +harl, ribbed with gold, a tag of yellow mohair at the tail, tail a very +short topping, a rich black-red hackle rolled over the black sparingly, +and a mallard wing, made to stand well up and apart. Hook BB, or No. 9. +C for lake trout. + +No. 2. A brown body, black hackle ribbed with gold, and grouse wings. +Hook CC. + +No. 3. Bronze peacock body, ribbed with gold twist, black-red cock's +hackle, and dark brown grouse rump feather mixed with turkey tail for +wings. Hook BB. C for trout in the lake. + +No. 4. A cinnamon fly, with glede wings mixed with jungle cock, and +ribbed with gold. B hook. No. 9 for the river. + +No. 5. A black body, silver tinsel, black hackle, full teal wings, +yellow head, and tail. Hook B. + +No. 6. A dark green fly ribbed with gold, silver pheasant tail mixed +with mallard for wings, a small topping in tail, and orange head. Hook +BB, or C. + +A blue fly with teal wings and blue hackle ribbed with silver, topping +in the tail, and red head of mohair, hook B, or BB; and a fly with +peacock harl body, black hackle, hen pheasant tail wings mixed, and the +tail of the cock bird. Hook B, or C for trout. + +The large trout flies in my list for the season are excellent ones for +the lake, and Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 11, for salmon. + +There is good salmon fishing to be had in Islay, south of Mull. The +steam boat from Glasgow calls there twice a week. Mr. Campbell, the +laird, resides in the island, who gives permission, unhesitatingly, to +gentlemen making application to him. + +The river is at the landing place of the steamer; the salmon, which are +numerous in it, take small gaudy flies--blue body and hackle, brown, +claret, red, black, and green flies. + +There is also salmon fishing to be had in "Jura Isle," a little to the +north of Islay. + + + + +THE RIVERS IRVINE, GIRVAN, AND STINCHER, IN AYRSHIRE. + + +In this westerly quarter may be found excellent Salmon and Trout fishing +in the spring and autumn in these beautiful streams, which can be +reached from the city of Glasgow every day by rail. + +The Stincher is the best for salmon, the flies for which are browns, +blacks, reds, and greys, all plainly dressed ones. I will describe one +here, a great favourite of a gentleman friend of mine, Mr. +Murdoch,--Stephen Blair, &c. At Glasgow, some years ago, on my stay in +that city; I give his name, as he used to call my flies "mest noble +flees," and laughed heartily to see the manoeuvring of the hook in my +fingers. + +The body of Mr. Murdoch's fly was in joints of pig hair picked out, and +at the head a black-red hackle; first, there was a tip of gold, a tag of +yellow hair, then a joint of orange, a joint of fiery brown, a joint of +claret, and a joint of black pig hair or mohair, spaniel hair is best; +the wings a light brown turkey tail feather with white tips, tied on +topping a little longer than the bend of the hook, a very small topping +in the tail. Hook No. 8 for high water. + +Mr. Murdoch was a native of Ayr, and a keen fisher, and used to speak +much of his angling in the "waters o' Doon." + +From Ayr, the angler may proceed to the lakes of Cumberland, _via_ +Carlisle, Keswick, and Bowness. + + + + +RIVERS OF WALES.--THE CONWAY. + + +There would be excellent salmon fishing in Wales were the rivers +properly preserved. The Conway (North Wales) is a beautiful stream, and +it is a great pity it should be neglected; however, I believe it will be +very soon protected from the nets, &c., as there are a few spirited +gentlemen in the neighbourhood of Llanwrist and Aberconway, who will +rent and preserve it for fly fishing only, all the way up from the town +of Conway to Capel Curig. The salmon flies in my list, made on small +size hooks, will suit it well, varied according to the state of the +water; and my list of trout flies will be found admirable for it. +Information respecting season tickets, and rules of the fishing, may be +obtained at the Inn at Llanwrist. + + + + +THE RIVER DOVEY. + + +The Dovey is a nice stream, but runs off very soon, like all others +descending from the mountains. The salmon would be, nevertheless, very +plentiful in it, as there are many capital large pools for them to +haunt, if they were allowed to reach them. It is so very much netted at +its mouth that it cannot be possible for fly fishing to be good. The +neighbourhood of Machynlleth is the best place to fly fish it. In the +spring and autumn the salmon flies in the plates will be found admirable +for it, made on CC hooks, and C for low water. The furnace and black-red +hackles are excellent local flies, made on C hooks, for summer. Sewen +take small duns, and the Cochybonddu. + + + + +RIVER TIVEY. + + +The Tivey is considered the very best and most prolific river in all +Wales. It has a long and winding course to Cardigan, and before it +reaches this place, at Newcastle Emlyn, it is a picture of a river for +salmon fishing. Lampeter, higher up, is a very good station, near to +which place are the "Tivey Pools," where the fish lie in low water. My +list of both salmon and trout flies would be excellent for the Tivey, +dressed on small hooks. + + + + +THE WYE, MONMOUTH. + + +The Wye, at the town of Monmouth, and up towards Leominster, is an +excellent river for salmon; and the Usk, in the same quarter, is also +good for salmon and fine trout. The latter river is a very short way +from the Wye, and may be conveniently reached from Monmouth to +Abergavenny, close to which town it passes, and enters the mouth of the +Severn at Newport; the Wye falls into it higher up, at Chepstow. The +painted flies in the plates will be just the sort for the Wye made +smaller, and will suit the Usk admirably, dressed smaller still. + +There is a local fly or two which I will give, viz.--Body yellow mohair +bordering on orange, a red ginger cock's hackle long in the fibre rolled +over it, ribbed with plate gold, a red tail, and light brown turkey tail +feather with white tips for the wings. Hook No. 9. + +Another fly with the same body, and wings of the bittern's neck, two +feathers should be tied in, and the whole to stand well up. + +Another fly, with brown body, brown hackle, brown wings, and tail, +ribbed with gold. The Dun Palmer, in the Plate No. 7, and the Dun +Salmon fly, No. 6, made on smaller size hooks, will be found excellent +ones. Nos. 4, 5, and 10, are also good, the latter for high water. Never +were there better flies seen for the Welsh rivers in general than these, +made to suit the state of the water. + + + + +THE RIVER SEVERN. + + +The river Severn has its source in Montgomeryshire, takes a long course, +passing the towns of Welshpool and Shrewsbury. It is a fine stream, and +there could be no better one were it well preserved. There is excellent +greyling fishing below Shrewsbury, but little or no salmon fishing. "Mr. +Taylor," in his Book on Angling, who was a native of this place, says, +"that he hooked and killed a greyling in the Severn, below Shrewsbury, +five pounds weight." + +THE RIVER THAME rises in Wales, near Bishop's Castle, and joins the +Severn below Worcester. It produces excellent fish, particularly trout +and greyling. Begin to fish at Ludlow, and move down the stream. The +flies in my list are good for it. + + + + +THE TRENT + + +is a good river for greyling fishing, near the town of Newark, on the +Nottingham and Lincoln Railroad. The flies to suit it are small blue +duns, cochybonddus, small black hackles, orange duns, red hackles +without wings, wren hackles, small grouse hackles, ash duns, willow +flies, blue blows, &c. + +The well known Lakes and Rivers of Cumberland are excellent for fly +fishing, particularly Ulswater for trout, and the beautiful Lake +Windermere for a fish called Char. These delicious fish take a fly like +the sea-trout, which they resemble in shape, although much darker in +colour. A small fly made on No. 8 hook, or No. 6, with puce body and +hackle, ribbed with silver, the wings of brown mallard, and a tail the +same feather as the wings; a fly with an orange body, black hackle, and +mallard wings; another with woodcock wings, orange body, and furnace red +hackle; a fly with a bronze peacock harl body, rib of gold, black +hackle, and jay wings, varied with light grey mallard for wings; and my +list of trout flies for the season will be found excellent for the +trout in the lakes and rivers. + +Bowness, Patterdale, Poolybridge, and Keswick, are all nice stations, +where men and boats may be had conveniently. + + + + +RIVERS OF YORK AND DERBY. + + +The beautiful streams of these counties are excellent for trout fishing, +and the scenery varied and pleasing throughout. The river Wharf is a +delightful stream in the neighbourhood of Bolton Abbey, a well known +place of "Hofland." See his painting of it, which gives a good idea of +the magnificent scene. Harrowgate, and Harewood Bridge, would be very +convenient stations for the fly fisher to stay at. The greyling are good +here, and the small duns, wren, and grouse hackles, do well; the +Dottrille hackle, and black and red hackle, with yellow waxed silk +bodies, and starling wing, are good; a small fly with peacock body, +black hackle, and starling wing. No. 13 hook, or 12. These flies may be +seen in my list. They will also kill well at Driffield. + + + + +THE HODDER. + + +Whitewell is a favourite spot for anglers to meet during the May fly +season, it is beautifully situated for scenery and sport; my list of +flies will be found excellent killers in this stream for both trout and +greyling; there is a comfortable inn here. + + + + +RIVERS OF DERBY. + + +Derbyshire is watered by many delightful streams, which abound with +trout and greyling, the owners of which allow the angler to fish without +the least hesitation on making application and sending in his card. + +The River Dove, at "Dove Dale," is as charming a place for a few days +fly fishing as any in the County, and is famed for the pleasing +recollections of the early days of "Walton and Cotton's" rambles on its +banks. There is an inn at the entrance of the Dale, and Mapleton and +Ashbourne convenient stations. The flies to suit the Dove are, small +duns of various sorts, greys, and browns, as described in my list for +the season, there cannot be better flies for it if made to answer the +state of the water. + +The beautiful river Wye, at the town of "Bakewell," is a capital stream +for the fly, and many a good angler makes his appearance here in the +drake season; the winged larva and May fly in the engraving would do +well on windy days, when the natural May fly did not show itself in +great numbers; my list for the season will be found excellent ones for +the Wye. + +The Derwent is also another nice fly-fishing stream for trout and fine +greyling; the best places to proceed to fish would be Baslow and Rowsley +Bridge, my list of flies will suit it well. + + + + +THE RIVERS WANDLE AND COLN. + + +These rivers are convenient to London, and are famous for fly fishing: +they are in general private property, but the owners are very civil in +granting one or two days' angling on application and sending your card. +There are two or three places on the Wandle that may be angled in at +will, about the neighbourhood of Carshalton, and Ackbridge; and on the +Coln, at Watford and Rickmansworth. The flies to suit the Wandle are +generally well known, which are--the Carshalton cocktail, dark hare's +ear, blue and pale duns, little peacock fly, furnace fly, small soldier +fly, and little black red palmers, the little brown midge and the March +brown made very small, small black gnat, and red ant, these flies may be +seen in my list for the season, they cannot fail to afford diversion. + +The flies to suit the river Coln, are--the brown Caperer, large cinnamon +fly, brown-red palmer, and Orl fly with a dun hackle and yellow body, +the stone fly, March brown, brown grouse hackle, wren-tail fly, large +red ant, black gnat, and dun drake, a red hackle fly made full with the +red and grey tail feather of the partridge mixed, bronze peacock harl +body. Hook No. 8. + +The Great Whirling Dun, Red Spinner, the Coachman, and the Large +Governor flies will be found with those good for the evening, with a +nice ripple on the water. + +The river Itchen, at Itchen Abbas, Hants, is a very nice stream for fly +fishing, and the Avon at Salisbury Plain, the Kennet, at Hungerford, +Berks, is also good, and the river Mole at Leatherhead, Surrey, is a +beautiful stream for fly fishing, in the vicinity of Randal's Park. It +has been preserved in the park for years, and abounds with large trout. + +Whitchurch and Stockbridge are also good places for the fly, in +Hampshire; and the famed "Lea" at Ware, the resort of many a good London +angler; the river Stour is another fine trout stream, it receives the +rivers of Wilts in its course, waters Hampshire, and falls into the sea +at Christchurch. My list of flies will kill here. + +There are many very beautiful rivers in Devonshire for trout fishing, +which are, the Ex at Exeter and Tiverton, the Ax at Axminster, and the +Tamar which separates Cornwall and Devon, a very considerable river, in +which there are salmon and fine white trout in the spring of the year, +March and April. Launceston would be the most convenient station for the +tourist angler to fish this fine river. + +The salmon in it take small flies, with claret and dark brown bodies, +ribbed with gold, mallard wings mixed with a little tipped feather, and +tails of the same; at high water they rise and take more gaudily +dressed ones, made on B and BB hooks. + +I sent the colours to a gentleman to suit this river some time ago, who +told me it would be an excellent one for salmon, were it well taken care +of. He made his own flies. + +I have also sent fishing colours, hackles, and flies, to suit every +river, or nearly so, in Great Britain, to gentlemen residing on their +banks, which has been a great advantage to me in obtaining the knowledge +of the local flies, but in general my flies have succeeded best in the +hands of those Fly fishers who have made it their study and practice. + +It will be seen that I have not withheld the local flies for each river +from accompanying my own, and those great anglers who visit Norway will +find the Salmon flies in the plates most killing, and it will be a great +advantage to them to have this book in their possession, to give them a +knowledge of fishing colours, and the various modes of dressing both +salmon and trout flies, the delineation of which they will see I have +given to a nicety, having studied from my youth, and learned from my own +observation. + +I have been all my life too fond of fishing, which has been sometimes to +my disadvantage, but I loved the scenes of woods, green hills, of +singing birds, meadows, and fresh air, rushing rivers, and above all, to +look at the beautiful fish jumping to catch the fly on the surface of +the water. + +[Illustration: Plate of Minnow tackle, &c.] + + + + +BAIT FISHING. + +THE RIVER THAMES. + + +After jumping over old "tower'd" Thames on our way to the south, we now +return to him to wind up this little chapter on rivers; there cannot be +a better river for the purposes of trolling, spinning, or bait fishing +in general, than the Thames, there is not a town on its banks from +Richmond to Oxford, that does not afford capital angling with the bait, +and in many places large trout may be caught with the fly in the +evening, these large trout are very delicious and grow fat on the +quantities of minnows and gudgeons which they prey upon, and of which +there are an inexhaustible supply. I have taken a few of them with +large size blood red flies, brown flies, and large palmers of the like +colours. The flies Nos. 4, 5, and 7, in the plates, are just the sort +made a size or two smaller; Hampton Court, Sunbury, Weybridge, and +Pentonhook, are likely places to rise a fish about seven in the evening, +and early in the morning from six to eight. A light general rod with +spare tops for fly fishing, about sixteen or seventeen feet long, with +reel, and line of sixty yards, would be about the sort I would +recommend, made of good hickory, or split cane; this sort of rod would +suit any purpose, either for trolling, spinning, or for barbel fishing +with the lob worm, &c. + +Mr. Stoddart in his "Work on Angling" speaks very highly of worm and +bait fishing in general. + +And "Mr. Salter's Book," is a very good authority for trolling and +spinning. The greater part of the fishermen and punt men on the Thames +are capital hands at using the trolling and spinning tackle, so that the +young angler who desires to become expert at this sort of fishing, can +easily gain instruction from these civil men; they are also good barbel +and trout fishers with the lob worm. + +There are many good trout caught by spinning, and when bait fishing with +the lob worm for barbel in places where they would rise and take the fly +were they let alone, this is the cause of their being so scarce, as +trout from half-a-pound and upwards will take the worm. + +The Thames produces many kinds of fish--trout, perch, barbel, pike, +roach, dace, carp, chub, gudgeons, minnows, eels, &c. As all these fish +take the bait in general, I will here give the proper sorts for each, +with the tackle to suit the purpose, and will show the angler which to +use to his best advantage in every river he fishes in. + + + + +PERCH. + + +The Perch is a very handsome fish, and is best taken with the worm or +live minnow, the larger size ones take the latter bait well and the +smaller ones take the brandling and red worms best, using a No. 7 or 8 +hook, and put on two worms at a time; use a small cork float, and as +many shot on the line as will keep the bait steady about a foot from the +bottom; use fine tackle in clear deep water, and keep as much out of +their view as possible; the Paternoster is an excellent tackle for +taking them, baited with live minnows in rapid waters near the sides of +weirs, roving with a small live minnow, having a shot on the line of +fine gut to keep it in mid water. If you know there are pike in the +place, use fine gymp instead of gut, as these fish are taken in the same +manner. + + + + +BARBEL. + + +The Barbel are strong fish, and require strong tackle to catch them, a +No. 4 or 5 hook tied on stout single gut, and have a small bullet with a +hole through it on your line, and a shot about a foot from the hook to +be stationary, to prevent the bullet from running down on the bait; when +you have a bite he draws the line through the bullet gently at first let +him do so for a little, and then strike not too hard. The best bait for +him is the lob worm well scoured. + +[Illustration: Plate of Pike tackle, &c.] + +I consider this a famous plan for catching salmon, when they will not +rise at the fly, in deep running streams. If you can find out where +there is one lying drop it into the water above him and let it fall +towards his nose, and he will be almost sure to take it. In low water +you can throw the lob worm, if well scoured, on a gut casting line, like +the fly, on a No. 6 hook; moving up the river, throwing it in before +you, and allowing it to fall gently with the current till you feel a +bite, raising your hand after allowing time, the same as if it had taken +the fly; you may wade up the river at convenient places with your boots, +try Cording's waterproofs, in the Strand. + +There is good trout fishing after rains, with the running line, with +shot attached; use gut hooks No. 7 or 8, and let the bait run with the +stream gently, keeping the line taut, and when it stops rise your hand a +little to free it, allowing it to move on again, and when you feel a +bite wait a little till he takes it, and then strike gently, if a small +fish pull him out, if a large one play him. The best places to throw in +are at the sides of streams, in the smooth parts, in eddies, and where +the current of the pool is breaking off at the foot into another +stream, and when the flood is subsiding after rain, are the best times, +using brandling worms and small lob worms. This was my favourite way of +catching trout when a boy. + + + + +PIKE. + + +The Pike is a rough customer (if large) to come across, and the tackle +which is required to catch him is as rough and as terrible as himself; +he will take almost anything that is thrown to him if moved in the water +he haunts. Roving with the minnow using a float, is, I think, the nicest +way of fishing for him in deep places, but he is oftener taken by +spinning, or trolling the gorge bait, tackle which is well known to +every angler. + +The pike take the larger double hook gaudy fly, in deep running places, +beyond the weeds, when there is a stiff breeze blowing and small close +rain falling, and at no other time will he look at a fly; it is useless +to try unless in a rapid stream, which is an unusual place for him to +haunt in general. Autumn is the best time for these fish. When you +prepare the trolling bait for jack or pike, have a needle to draw the +gymp through the bait, say a minnow, gudgeon, or dace, putting it in at +the mouth of the fish and out near the root of the tail; sew up the +mouth of the bait, and tie the tail part to the end of the hooks, which +has been often explained before. Throw it in sideways into deep places, +letting it sink a foot or two, and draw it in pretty quick towards you, +and when the fish makes a run to take it, give him a little time; when +your line begins to shiver and shake and he moves off, raise your hand +and anchor the hook in him; if he is a small one whip him out of the +water with your stiff and patent line at your feet, if a large one play +him as you would a salmon, keep his head well up and draw him through +the weeds if any and gaff him quickly. + +The best rods to use for trolling are made of the toughest hickory, as +the cane often gives way with a large fish; upright rings, and prepared +silk and hair line, with reel to suit the rod, forty yards, if the place +you angle in is not very broad, will be sufficient; and when fishing in +a boat with a salmon rod, if there is a chance of pike fishing in lakes +when the salmon will not take the fly, using the short top would be +found stiff enough, that is, when you have not a trolling rod with you +in the boat. + +The large flexible minnow would be a capital bait for jack in lakes or +deep rivers; and the glass minnow is also good. These fish rush at very +bright imitations of the natural fish bait best, and a good size white +trout would be a valuable little fish to throw for him--a large size +dace is also good. These baits could be preserved in whiskey for weeks. +They preserve fry and sprats in Scotland in this way for salmon or pike +fishing. The old fishermen in the north say that "sprats" are the fry of +the herring. I am persuaded that they would be excellent bait for +salmon, preserved so as to keep their brilliancy. The Paternoster Tackle +cannot fail to suit the purpose of those who prefer angling in a punt +for jack at the sides of large streams near the bank where there are +alders or willows growing, overhanging the water, with a gravelly +bottom. Nice plump bright minnows are the best, or large size gudgeons; +the hooks No. 4 or 5, mounted on gymp. + +_Note._--The best trolling rods, spinning, and bait rods, with trolling +tackle of the strongest sort; minnow tackle, gut hooks, gymp hooks, +treble and double hooks, gorge and snap hooks, and every sort of the +best hooks and tackle to suit trolling, spinning, and bait fishing, to +be had at my shop, 54, Dean Street, Soho, London. Try my spinning trace, +half twisted and half single salmon gut, mounted with swivels and large +shot, for large trout or salmon. + + + + +ROACH. + + +The Roach is a handsome fish, and when taken of the size of half a pound +or a pound, are not such bad eating as is said of them. They are very +bony, it is true, but particularly wholesome. These fish do not thrive +so well in ponds where they are exceedingly numerous, but in deep +running rivers, with sandy and gravelly bottoms. They excel in both +flavour and size. Let the place to angle for them be about four or five +feet deep, plumb the depth, and allow your bait to be very near the +bottom. The baits are paste, or gentles. When you begin, throw into the +place you angle in some ground bait, to bring them together; keep your +eye to the float, which should be a quill one, and the gut line with as +many shot attached to it as will carry the float about a quarter the +length of it out of the water, and strike smartly, but gently when you +see it move downwards. They bite best in mild dark days. Work the paste +between the hands (bread without wet), and when rather tough, mix a +little vermilion with it, they like this best. Let the shot be about +half a foot or so from the hook, which should be a No. 10 or 12, and +where there are large ones, No. 8, tied on gut. When I was a little boy +this sort of angling used to be my favourite amusement, with the running +bait for trout after a flood. + + + + +DACE. + + +The Dace is a lively brisk little fish, and affords much amusement in +catching him, particularly with very small flies, which he will rise at +from May to October. They like the rapid streams, along the sides of +them, and in the middle, they may be seen in shoals. The vicinity of +Richmond is a very good place to go for a day's Dace fishing with the +fly. They haunt the same places as the Roach, are taken with the same +baits, and angled for near the bottom. Hooks No. 12 or 13. + + + + +CARP. + + +It is a very difficult matter to catch Carp with the bait, as they are +most cunning fish to detect at once the deception, and swim away on the +least sight of the rod or the shadow of the fisherman. The Carp haunt +the deep parts of gently running streams, and those caught in rivers are +the best; those that are very numerous in ponds are lean and soft in the +flesh, and rather insipid. The best plan to angle for them would be +with a very fine gut line, a No. 9 hook, baited with a couple of small +red worms or two gentles, thrown into the water where they are, very +cautiously, and keep well out of sight. Let the bait sink a short way +from the surface, and draw it gently towards you, using at the same time +a very long rod, rather stiff. Strike immediately they take the bait, +gently, and play them as you would a trout on the fly. + + + + +CHUB. + + +The Chub is rather a handsome fish when in season, and those caught with +the artificial fly in many parts of the Thames, are very brilliant and +pretty to look at; but, unfortunately, they are full of very small +bones, when cooked the roe is wholesome. + +They haunt the deepest pools and rivers under shaded banks overhung with +trees, the sides of weirs, and in ponds where a small spring runs in and +out of them, with rather a rocky or gravelly bottom. Autumn is the best +season for them, although I have caught them with the fly in the Thames +in summer in good perfection, when fishing for trout. The way to angle +for them would be to use a quill float, with a No. 8 hook, or larger, a +gut line, and some shot about ten inches from the bait to sink the +float, bait the hook with bread paste made red, and made tough in clean +hands, put on a piece of it the size of a nut, throw in gently, and keep +out of sight. Good cheese, well worked to make it tough, is also good. +They will take gentles turned inside out on the hook one over the other, +and when you have a bite strike rather quickly. They will also take +grasshoppers, blue bottles, cadbait, and cockchafers; and with red or +yellow flies, and black and brown palmers in the ordinary way of fishing +for trout. + + + + +GUDGEONS AND MINNOWS. + + +These are very beautiful little fish, and most wholesome food; they are +the best bait for perch, jack, and large trout, that can be, as I +mentioned before. The way to angle for them is to have a couple of very +small hooks tied on hair or fine gut, with a shot or two to carry the +float off the bottom, say a small quill float, bait your hook with a +very small red worm, or a piece of a brandling worm; they may be seen +very numerous in the Thames, along the sides of streams, and in smooth +running water with gravelly bottom; they afford nice amusement to the +young angler, and when taken out of the water are remarkably handsome to +look at. + + + + +BAITS. + + +To scour worms:--put them in clean damp moss, changing it in two or +three days, place them between two layers of it, and choose those that +are free from knots. The lob worms are found in gardens; brandlings and +red worms are scoured with the lob worm in the same pot covered at top; +those found in old tan yards are the best, and may be used without +scouring. When you use the worms, dip them in cream, which will refresh +their colour. + +The cadis worm or cad bait is excellent for trout fishing, placed on the +hook double, and cast gently with the wind into the stream, or dropped +into the water beneath bushes that grow on the banks of pools where +large fish lie, and are the most likely places. In rivers clearing off +after floods in the summer they do well, and are also good for perch in +deep running water. These cad worms produce many of the flies for the +season after remaining during the cold weather at the bottom rolling +about, and when the spring and summer appear they change into these +beautiful insects; before the change takes place, during the winter, +they form themselves a cover to protect them from the inroads of their +enemies. Their instinct[H] prompts them to incase themselves like a +snail in a piece of hollow reed, open at each end, and covered with +small gravel and little shells, which they attach with a kind of +glutinous substance to resist the force of the water; they creep on the +bottom with six legs, and having their little house on their backs draw +into it at pleasure, and settle amongst the stones like a piece of +rotten branch or stick. The Trout and other fish feed upon them in the +winter, when the winged insects are nowhere to be seen. + +[Illustration: Paternoster and Barbel tackle] + +Showery windy days are generally best for fly fishing, blowing from the +south, south-west, west, and north; there are but few fish take in east +winds. When the wind blows warm in the beginning of the season it is +good for bait fishing, and in autumn mild days are best. In days when +there is no likelihood of constant rain after clear nights, and a nice +grey cloud covers the sky, with a good cool breeze blowing to ripple the +water, this is the time to rise the large trout, and which afford the +best sport. + + "Full nature swarms with one wondrous mass + Of animals, or atoms organized, + Waiting the vital breath, when parent heaven + Shall bid His spirit blow." + THOMSON. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[Footnote H: Given them by the Great Author of nature.] + + + + +THE ART OF + +DYEING FISHING COLOURS, + +WHICH ARE + +PIG'S HAIR, MOHAIR, FUR, & HACKLES, COMMONLY CALLED DUBBING. + + +The great advantage the fly fisher must derive from a knowledge of +dyeing his colours and hackles is obvious. It affords amusement to the +enthusiastic fisher to be acquainted with the various shades required +for making his flies to suit the rivers, and the flies become valuable +when made of good colours and hackles. Every hackle and colour that is +used for making a salmon fly must be of the richest dye imaginable, that +they may show brilliant and good to the fish's eye at the bottom of the +water, and entice them to rise and take it at the top. The hackles must +be taken from old cocks, both the neck and saddle ones, as they hold +the dye best. Wool is not good for the fly, as it soaks the water, and +is dull and heavy. Pig hair, that next the skin, with the stiff and +coarse bristles picked and cleared away, and mohair, which is Spanish +goat hair, a most beautiful brilliant substance for fly making when dyed +well; white seal's fur, and furs of different kinds of a white colour. +White hackles are best for yellows, oranges, gold colours, blues, +greens, &c.; red hackles do best to dye claret, red, or fiery browns, +olives, and cinnamon browns, &c., and black hackles for sooty olives, +and tawny colours. When the angler sees a white old cock he should buy +him to procure his hackles, or a black cock, a grey cock, and old red +cocks of every hue, all of which are good for dyeing. These also must be +washed in soap and hot water before being dyed, and the flue stripped +off, tied in bunches (see the bunch of white hackles in the Plate of +Feathers, ready for the dye) of proper sizes, and when about to be put +into the dye-pot, wet them and the hair in hot water. + +Provide a small crucible or earthen pot, glazed inside, with an earthen +handle, to hold a quart of soft water, and before you put in your +hackles or hair, wash them well, as I said before, in soap and hot +water. The five principal colours to work upon are blue, red, yellow, +brown, and black. From the combination of two or more of these may be +produced every shade required, from the lightest to the darkest, so that +it only requires some practice, to know the different ingredients to +use, to become a Dyer of Fishing Colours. + + + + +TO DYE YELLOW. + + +I will begin with yellow, the most useful colour in general for the +gentle craft. Put your crucible on a slow fire nearly full of water, or +say half full, for the first trial. Take a tea cup, and into it put a +table-spoonful of the best turmeric, pour over it some warm water, and +stir it well with a clean piece of fire wood; when the water begins to +simmer in the pot, put in the ingredient out of the cup, and stir it +well with a piece of stick; have a second crucible, about half full of +soft water, and boil it, into this put two table-spoonfuls of ground +alum and one tea-spoonful of crystal of tartar, while these are boiling +and perfectly dissolved, put into it your hackles or hair, and boil +gently for an hour or half an hour; take off your pots and enter the +hackles into the yellow dye out of the liquor into which you put the +alum and tartar, and boil them very slowly for an hour, taking them out +at intervals to see the shade you require; if too pale you must put more +turmeric in, and if too heavy in shade the next trial, put in less, and +do the same with all colours till you please your own eye. When they are +the proper colour, take them out and wash them in soap and hot water. +Draw them evenly through your fingers in the bunch, and let them dry, as +this keeps them in shape. + +There are three or four ways to dye yellow by changing the stuff. Fill +your pots nearly full of soft water, and put into one the tartar and +alum, and into the other two or three handfuls of yellow wood, which +must be boiled slowly for three or four hours; when it is well boiled, +strain off the liquor from the wood into a basin, and throw the wood +away; put the dyeing liquor into the pot again, and when boiling take +out the hackles from the mordant of tartar and alum and put them into +the yellow dye, let them boil gently for some time till the yellow +colour has entered the hackles or hair, then take them out and wash them +in soap and water, straighten them between the fingers, and let them +dry; take them in the right hand and strike them on the fore-finger of +the left till they are quite dry. + +By boiling two handfuls of fustic and a table-spoonful of turmeric +together, and repeating the above process, there will be produced a +golden yellow, which is very good for fly making. There must not be too +much alum used, neither must the ingredients be boiled too long. Persian +berries, bruised and boiled slowly, with a spoonful of turmeric, +produces a good yellow; and an ingredient called weld, boiled as before, +and adding the alum, is a good dye for yellow,--indeed, the weld is the +best dye, if care is taken with it. + + + + +TO DYE BROWN. + + +Put into your dye pot about two handfuls of walnut rinds, or as much as +it will hold nicely to boil; simmer this slowly over the fire for three +or four hours, and add a little water to it as it boils away. When all +the juice of the dye is taken out of the rinds, strain the liquor off, +put it into the basin, and throw away the rinds; you take two handfuls +more and boil them in the same way, and add the stuff together in the +pot; the rinds being thrown away, put your hackles, &c., previously +washed, into the dye, and simmer them on the fire for four or five +hours, till you have the proper colour struck on the hackles. The alum +and tartar need not be added to this dye. + +Take out the feathers and wash them well; the walnut roots cut small, +dye in the same way. + + + + +TO DYE A YELLOW BROWN. + + +The Saunders' Wood, brought from the Indies, and sold in powder or +ground mixed with sumach is good, it takes long to boil, adding the +alum. + +A Cinnamon Brown or Fiery Brown may be struck on the hackles or colours +(pig hair or mohair) by first dyeing them yellow, the same as explained +in the yellow dye; put the hackles, previously dyed yellow, into the +liquor of walnut rinds, and simmer them over the fire slowly for three +or four hours, and leave them in all night, if a dark fiery brown is +required; the less of the rinds produce cinnamon or yellow brown, the +roots and rinds of the walnut are the best for the various shades; the +rind of the alder dyed with alum and tartar is also good. + + + + +TO DYE BLUE. + + +Fill your crucible three parts full of soft water, and put it on a slow +fire, at the same time put in your blue ingredients, previously +prepared, (this is done by dissolving the powdered blue in oil of +vitriol and water in a stopper bottle for twenty-four hours). If there +is a very light shade of blue required, put in a couple of +table-spoonfuls of the blue ingredient, and add to it as the shade may +be varied at will according to the quantity of the stuff; boil the +hackles in tartar and alum, say a table-spoonful of each, or rather less +of the tartar, simmer it on the fire for two or three hours according to +the process mentioned before; and when the proper colour is produced +take out the hackles, hair, or fur, and wash them well in soap and hot +water. + +There is a paste blue prepared at the dry-salters all ready for the dye +pot, take a table-spoonful of it and stir it well up in your pot nearly +full of soft water, and boil it gently for about an hour (or less), then +put in your hackles or hair, previously washed and wet going in, boil +for two hours very slowly and wash off the dye; any shade of blue may be +had in a very short time by this process; there are two or three +dry-salters in Long Acre where this paste blue is sold, and any of the +other ingredients may be purchased at their shops, or at chymists. + + + + +TO DYE RED. + + +Prepare your dye pot by nearly filling it with soft water; and keep it +at a scalding heat when the dye stuff is put in, as it must not boil, if +it is allowed to boil it becomes dull in colour; put into the dye pot a +handful of finest grape madder, and simmer it slowly over the fire, stir +well, and prepare the hackles or hair in the alum and red tartar liquor; +after having boiled an hour slowly, take out a bunch and look at them +between your eyes and the sun or light to see how they take the dye, if +too pale there must be more madder added, and allow them to remain in +the dye all night, simmer them slowly, next day take them out, rinse and +wash them well, and allow them to dry in the air; mix a table-spoonful +of cochineal with the madder. + + + + +TO DYE ORANGE. + + +When orange is desired take a handful of best madder and mix it with a +spoonful of cochineal, boil it for an hour or two, add too a little +ground red wood which requires more boiling than the madder itself; dye +your hackles or stuff yellow first, and dip them into the red dye a +short time, take them out and look at the shade you have; if too light +allow them to remain in longer, and you will have darker shades of +colour, put a little red tartar and ground alum into the dye to assist +the red wood to strike on the materials, take them out and wash them in +soap and hot water, and afterwards rinse them in urine which gives a +lustre and softness to the stuff. + + + + +TO DYE PURPLE OR VIOLET. + + +First dye the hackles or stuffs blue, and lay them to dry; then, fill +the dye-pot more than half with soft water, and in the other pot prepare +the tartar and alum, dip your hackles into this for a little while, and +lay them on the table till you prepare the red dye; bruise a couple of +table-spoonfuls of cochineal, and put them into the pot of hot soft +water, boil for an hour, and put in the blue hackles, and allow them to +simmer over the fire very slowly to keep them from burning; when you +have the proper shade, take them out and wash them well. + + + + +TO DYE CRIMSON. + + +Boil your hackles or hair in a tea-spoonful of alum, and nearly as much +pure tartar, for an hour; bruise two table-spoonfuls of cochineal, and +boil them in your clean water; take out the hackles from the alum-water, +and put them into the cochineal liquor, and boil for two or three hours +slowly or less, according to the shade you require; then take out the +feathers and wash them well, and you will have the color desired. + + + + +TO DYE SCARLET. + + +Boil your hackles, &c., in a little crystal of tartar; procure two +table-spoonfuls of cochineal, bruise them a little, and boil them gently +over the fire for an hour or two; take the hackles you have just boiled +in the tartar, and put them into the dye-pot, and simmer them slowly for +some time, say half an hour; then take your "spirits of grain,"[I] and +put into the dye-pot a tea-spoonful or a little more; take them out +occasionally, and look at them between your eyes and the light, and when +the right shade is obtained, rinse them and dry. + +If you are in a hurry for scarlet, you may drop the particles of +block-tin into aqua-fortis till they are dissolved, and add a little to +the scarlet dye; the other is best, as it gives a more brilliant +shade;--boil slow. + +If the extract of bismuth is added to the red liquor of the cochineal in +a small quantity, it will change it to a purple or violet colour. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[Footnote I: Spirits of grain for scarlet,--a quarter pint of spirits of +nitre, a quarter of an ounce of ammoniac, add half water in a bottle, +and drop into it half an ounce of block-tin in grains till dissolved.] + + + + +CRIMSON RED IN GRAIN. + + +Boil your hackles or hair in a quarter of an ounce of alum, and the same +quantity of pure tartar, an hour gently; wash them out of this, fill +your dye-pot with clean water, or as much as will conveniently boil; put +in an ounce of well-powdered dye stuff they call "grain," with one +drachm of red arsenic, and one spoonful of burnt wine lees, this gives a +lustre; wash and rinse well after boiling a short time, and the colour +is good. + + + + +TO DYE GREEN DRAKE, FEATHERS AND FUR. + + +Boil your hackles, mohair, or fur, in alum and tartar, a quarter of an +ounce of each; rinse them well, and put them into the dye-pot, with an +ounce of savory, and as much green-wood as the pot will contain; (it is +best to boil off the savory and green-wood first, throw away the wood, +and boil the feathers in the liquor;) boil gently, and look at the +feathers occasionally to see if they are the right shade, these give +the natural shades of yellow green. The quantity of tartar and alum, +and of dye-stuff is given in this dye; and the preceding which will show +what must be used in all shades of colour, according to the quality or +your own taste. + + + + +TO DYE CLARET. + + +Boil two handfuls of red-wood, or ground Brazil-wood, for an hour, with +a handful of log-wood; then take a table-spoonful of oil of vitriol, and +put it into half a tea cup of cold water; and when the dye-pot is a +little cold, add it to the liquor, stir it, and put it on with the +hackles or hair, and boil it gently for two hours; take out your +material, and put it into cold water; add to the dye it comes out of a +little copperas, and a small quantity of pearlashes, about the size of a +nut of copperas, and a quarter that size of the ashes; put in your +hackles or material again, and when the proper shade is obtained, rinse +and wash well, and finish in urine, which brightens them, and your +colour is good. + + + + +ANOTHER WAY TO DYE CLARET. + + +Take a handful of nut galls and bruise them, put them into the crucible +and boil them half an hour, add to the dye a table-spoonful of oil of +vitriol in half a cup of water, put in the hackles and boil two hours; +then add to the liquor a little pearl ashes, and a piece of copperas the +size of a nut, boil gently for two hours or as long as required to suit +the taste of the dyer, rinse and wash them well, the ashes need not be +used in this dye, but if used a very small quantity will suffice. + +Another way:--boil red wood powdered for two hours (two handfuls), and +then put the hackles in, boil an hour longer, let the liquor cool, and +put into a tea cup half full of water nearly a table-spoonful of +aqua-fortis and pour it into the dye, stir well occasionally and keep +the hackles down, boil for two hours more and rinse off, finish in a +little urine. If a very dark claret is required lay them in to boil for +a day and night with a scalding heat. + + + + +TO DYE BLACK. + + +Boil two good handfuls of log-wood with a little sumach and elder bark +for an hour, put in the stuff or hackles (boil very gently), bruise a +piece of copperas about the size of two Spanish nuts, put it in with a +little argil and soda; take out the hackles and hold them in the open +air a little, then put them in again and leave them all night gently +heated, wash the dye well out of them and your black will be fine. The +argil and soda soften the dye stuff of the copperas, but a small +quantity must be put in. + + + + +TO DYE GREENS OF VARIOUS SHADES. + + +The greatest nicety of all is in finding the exact quantity of +ingredients to put in, so as to prevent the dye stuff from injuring the +fibres of the hackles, &c.; for the light shades add the smallest +quantity, and augment it by degrees. Dye the hackles a very light shade +of blue first, in prepared indigo,[J] as I said before, take a spoonful +and put it into the dye pot and boil it softly for half an hour. Add a +very small quantity of alum and tartar to the dye, put in your hackles, +and boil for a short time; add to the dye a table-spoonful of the best +turmeric, savoy, or green wood, a little of each would do best, boil +slowly for an hour, take out the hackles, rinse them, and you will have +a green: you may have any shade of green by dyeing the blues darker or +lighter, and putting in more yellowing stuff and less blue when light +yellow greens are required, boil gently, and look at the hackles often +to see that they have taken the shade you want. + + + + +TO DYE LAVENDER OR SLATE DUN, &c. &c. + + +Boil ground logwood with bruised nut galls and a small quantity of +copperas, according to judgment: you may have a pigeon dun, lead colour, +light, or dark dun. The ingredients must be used in small quantities, +according to taste. You may have raven grey, or duns of various shades, +by boiling with the logwood a small quantity of alum and copperas. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[Footnote J: Half a tea cupful of water, and the same quantity of oil of +vitriol, put into a bottle, the indigo to remain in twenty-four hours to +dissolve.] + + + + +BLUES. + + +Dissolve some indigo in oil of vitriol for twenty-four hours, put a +couple of spoonfuls in your pot, add a little crystal of tartar, put in +your hackles and boil, or at least keep them at a scalding heat, or the +vitriol will burn the feathers, furs, &c., take them out, rinse them +well, and the colour will be lasting. + +If to the above liquor some fustic chips, well boiled by themselves, and +the juice added, you may then have any shade of the best green. + + + + +A SILVER GREY. + + +Boil some fenugreek and a little alum half an hour, put in the white +hackles, &c., and add a little pearlash and Brazil-wood, boil them +gently an hour, rinse them, and your colour will be lasting. + + + + +A COFFEE OR CHESNUT. + + +Boil the hackles, &c., that have been previously dyed brown, in some nut +gall, sumach, and alder bark, then add a small quantity of green +copperas to the liquor, allow it to remain a day and a night in water +that you can bear the hand in, and all the stuff will enter the +materials. + + + + +TO DYE OLIVES AND A MIXTURE OF COLOURS. + + +Olives are dyed from blue, red, and brown, of every shade, according to +fancy. + +From yellow, blue, and brown, are made olives of all kinds. + +From brown, blue, and black, brown and green olives are made. + +From red, yellow, and brown, are produced orange, gold colour, marigold, +cinnamon, &c. + +See Haigh's Dyer's Assistant of Woollen Goods, for larger quantities. + + + + +A CONCISE WAY OF DYEING COLOURS. + + +I will now add the way to dye the colours, for pighair, mohair, hackles, +&c., in a concise and summary manner, to avoid giving trouble in too +many words, and the quantities of ingredients I have given before, which +would be superfluous to mention over so often, and which the dyer must +know by this time. The great art is in knowing the quantities that each +dye requires to obtain the exact colour, and this may be known by a +close observation to the rules I have given. + +Fustic and alum water will dye yellow, the hackles dipped three times in +fresh stuff. Weld, turmeric, and fenugreek, will give a yellow, boiled +in alum water, and the hackles dipped often, till they are the proper +colour. + +These may be dyed without tartar at pleasure. + +Brazil-wood, boiled till you have a strong decoction, strain off the +juice, then add alum water, boil the hackles in it slowly for a day or +two, and it will produce good reds. If the colour of the Brazil-wood be +very strong, there may be reds obtained in an hour's boiling. This is a +wood which is of a hard nature, and it is difficult to extract the +colour from it, although a good dye. + +A claret may be produced from Brazil-wood mixed with red archil, and +boiled in the usual manner, dipped in potash liquor, or brilla will act +in the same way to strike the colour; use hard water. + +A fiery brown may be made from fustic and turmeric boiled together with +alum and a little crystal of tartar, (soft water for this dye), and then +dip in liquor of potash. + +A cinnamon brown may be made with a little madder, or stone crottle, +boiled with alum and tartar, with a little turmeric to finish it. + +A good blue may be had by boiling the hackles with alum water, and add a +spoonful of the liquid blue; this is done by putting some oil of vitriol +into a bottle with a little water, and then the indigo, powdered, which +will dissolve in twenty-four hours, and be ready for use. (I have +mentioned this twice before, as I am very particular.) + +For a purple, dye blue first, then add the red dye, and dip it in +potash; when the hackles, &c., are left long in the red, it is more of +a wine purple. + +To have a good green, dye blue first, then boil in turmeric and fustic +bark, with alum and tartar, as usual. You may have any shade of green by +noticing the process in the dye pot. + +To dye an orange, first make it a turkey red with Brazil-wood and alum +water, then finish with turmeric and fustic till the colour pleases you. + +To dye a golden olive, boil sumach and turmeric with alum water, add a +little potash and copperas, and finish with new turmeric and a little +potash. + +Green olive may be made with a little more copperas and verdigris. + +Sooty olive is made by adding to the first a little alder or oak bark, +and finishing with turmeric and alum water. + +An amber may be made with red, and finished with yellow dye; the first +with stone crottle or madder, and finish with turmeric bark; the yellow +with alum water. All fishing colours should be dyed yellow first with +alum and crystal of tartar, but claret. + +Claret may be made from Brazil-wood, barked first in alum water, adding +new Brazil three or four times fresh to the liquor, and simmer slowly +for a day or two. + +A fiery brown may be made from lima or peth-wood, barked with turmeric +and alum water. + +A golden yellow may be had from citrine bark, boiled in new stuff three +times slowly, bark with alum, and dip in potash or brilla. + +All blues may be dipped in potash, to sadden the colour. + +A crottle or red orange, boil madder and stone crottle together, and +bark with alum water; the madder will do if the crottle cannot be had. +The crottle grows on stones in rocky places, like red moss. + +An orange may be had by dyeing yellow in strong liquid three times +fresh; bark with alum, and dip in potash. + +A Green Drake may be made by dyeing a good yellow first, and adding a +few drops of the blue decoction from the bottle of prepared blue dye, +this comes to the green drake colour; add a little copperas to make a +green dark or light, as you please. + +A golden olive may be made by dyeing brown red hackles in fustic and a +little copperas, and dipped in potashes, finished in turmeric and alum; +you will have a sooty olive by adding but very little of the turmeric +root. + +A sooty olive may be made by dyeing black hackles in yellow first with +alum water, add fresh yellow stuff three times to the dye pot, and dip +them in potashes. + +A wine purple may be made from light dyed blue hackles, put them in the +red dye of madder, Brazil, or cochineal, and dip them twice in potashes. + +Liver-coloured hackles may be had from brown red hackles, barked with +alum, and boiled in Brazil-wood juice, dipped in liquor of potash. + +A bright olive may be made from fustic and oak bark, adding a little +turmeric and alum water. + +A fiery cinnamon may be had from yellow dye, Brazil juice, and madder +mixed, boil these well, and add a little turmeric with alum. + +A golden crottle may be made from stone crottle and yellow dyes with +turmeric and alum water. The stone crottle is best for all golden +colours, but as it may not be easily got at, use madder instead; golden +orange may be had from the above, adding a little potashes, and boil +very slowly. + +A pea green may be had by dyeing yellow first, and add a few drops out +of the blue dye bottle, till it comes to the shade, it may be darkened +to a leek or bottle green. + +A stone blue,--bark the hackle with alum, and add to the alum water as +much of the prepared dye out of the bottle as will make it dark enough, +this may be easily seen from the appearance of the liquor in the dye +pot. + +A Prussian blue is done in the same way, keeping out the indigo, and +adding the Prussian blue. + +Dip a red into potashes and you have a light wine purple; blue and red +dye is best. + +Dip a good yellow in potashes, well boiled and stir, and you will have +an orange. A little tartar is good for all colours but black. + +Sumach, logwood, iron liquor, and copperas, will form a black. Boil a +small quantity of copperas with logwood, and it will dye gut properly. + +A tawny cinnamon may be dyed from stone crottle or madder, mixed with +turmeric, alum, and a little tartar, these must be gently boiled in +fresh stuff, adding a little copperas. + + + + +THE MATERIALS NECESSARY FOR ARTIFICIAL FLY MAKING. + + +The necessary articles used for fly making in general are as follows: +Those feathers that are of a most gaudy hue are best for the wings of +salmon flies, which are golden pheasant feathers, cock of the rock, the +crest of the Hymalaya pheasant, the blue and yellow macaw, the scarlet +macaw, red macaw, green parrot's feathers, particularly the Amazon +parrot tail, the scarlet Ibis, blue king fishers, and chattern, the +splendid Trogan, the Argus pheasant, the bustard, red parrot, and the +Bird of Paradise; the wood-duck feathers (try the cock of the north +feathers, black hackle, white body, and gold); the jungle cock; the +spotted turkey, brown, light, and dark feathers; brown mallard, or wild +drake; teal feathers; heron feather, black and blue; glede or kite tail +feathers; grey mallard, widgeon, and shovel duck; various dyed and +natural cock hackles; grouse hackles; guinea hen hackles, the rump and +back feathers; silver pheasant, cock and hen bird tail, wings, and body +feathers; yellow toucan feathers; blue jay feathers, and the wings of +the jay for trout flies; peacock feathers, off wings, tail, and body; +black ostrich feathers, and the white ostrich for dyeing all colours for +the heads of flies, &c., with floss silk of every shade; gold and silver +twist, and plate of different sizes; pighair, mohair, furs, &c. + +The materials for small trout flies are, mohair, furs of every colour, +water rat, fitch, squirrel, mole's fur, hare's ears and neck furs, mouse +and common rat fur, martin's fur, sable fur, black spaniel's hair off +the ear, black bear's hair for tailing the drake, and all white furs +dyed of various shades, such as yellow, yellow-green, gold, orange, +cinnamon, light duns, &c; starling wings, grouse feathers, snipe wings, +woodcock wings, thrush and blackbird's wings, fieldfare wings, wren +tails, tomtit tails, bunton lark wing, skylark wings, sparrow wings, +landrail wings, water-hen wings, water-rail wings, partridge tails and +hackle feathers, brown hen wings, tail, and body feathers, dun hen +wings, &c.; dun cock hackles, dun hen hackles, dottril wings and +hackles, and all dun, brown, and grey feathers that can be found on +every bird that flies are useful for imitating the natural insects; +tying silks of every shade, yellow and orange being the favorites; hooks +of sizes, and silk-worm gut. + +And now to wind up the line. I humbly beg to say that if I have deceived +the friends of the rod in anything, they have a right to be indifferent +with my profession of friendship, and ought to retain a sensibility of +my misfortune; my conscience is clear it is not so, for I know that I +would deceive myself were I to think that I could do without my +admirable friends of the angle--without me they could do--but I value +their worth, as in hope I rest, although they say "hope told a +flattering tale." I am not deceived by flattery, be it far from us; I +dislike deceit. I have hid nothing; I have done my endeavours in this +book to show the youths of the angle, as well as the great fly fishers, +all I know about the matter so far, and as the Chinamen say, that "time +and industry convert a mulberry leaf into a silk shawl," so perseverance +will be the means of the fly maker's success, if he allows himself an +opportunity of accomplishing that which he requires to know and to +perform, and at the same time neglect not to prepare for the "coming +struggle," it will be his own fault if he does not become a skilful +angler, &c. I will therefore consider myself highly honoured if the +young gentlemen of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, appreciate my +labour, and to be enabled, by the natural genius they possess, +descending from Him who visited us through the "Orient" from on high to +enlighten our understandings in every good, to find out the information +they desire in the perusal of these pages. + + +FINIS. + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Obvious punctuation errors repaired. + +Book uses both pearl-ash and pearl ash; salmon-fly and salmon fly. +Varied hyphenation was retained. Text also uses archaic spelling, +"scissars". + +Page vii, "cloured" changed to "coloured" (buff-coloured fur and) + +Page viii, "surperbly" changed to "superbly" (superbly painted to suit) + +Page viii, "Britian" changed to "Britain" (any river in Britain) + +Page 15, "growse" changed to "grouse" to match rest of usage (grouse +hackle prepared) + +Page 23, "pains" changed to "pain" (with a little pain) + +Page 36, word "to" added to text (next to the root) + +Page 75, "woodcook" changed to "woodcock" (woodcock or wren grackle) + +Page 148, "hymalean" changed to "Hymalean" (hen Hymalean pheasant is an) + +Page 166, "Arklaw" changed to "Arklow" (Arklow, on the river Ovoca) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Blacker's Art of Fly Making, &c., by +William Blacker + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACKER'S ART OF FLY MAKING, &C. *** + +***** This file should be named 35752.txt or 35752.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/5/7/5/35752/ + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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