UC-NRLF B ^ siE 111! III mil 711 BY HOOK AND f^Y CROOK » E R K E & ET GENERAL LIBRARY UNIVERSITY Of CALIFORNIA BY HOOK AND BY CROOK, BT FRASER SANDEMAN. "WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE AUTHOR. SECOND EDITION. LONDON : HENRY SOTHERAN & CO. 37 PICCADILLY, W. | 140 STRAND, W.C. 1894. ALi;i(K I KLAMMAM. PEINTED 13Y TAYLOB AND F 11 A N C I 8, RED LION COUKT, FLEET STREET. 6 6 DEDICATION. Without the desire to evade criticism for what may be considered eirors in the detail of this volume, it is a relief to share the onus of its production with my kinsman, Lieut.-Col. John Glas Sandeman, R.B.G., for, indeed, without his valuable encouragement and assistance these pages would not yet have been submitted to the public. M816508 PREFACE The contents of this little volume claim no literary or artistic merit, but simply purport to be reproductions of impressions fixed upon the mind of an angler during his wanderings by the waterside, — worked out while resting upon the river-bank or at the close of the day — endorsed by subsequent observation. The lessons taught by friends which Nature has ordained to dwell in the water, by the waterside, or on the moorland, are merely repeated, with the hope that no trust is betrayed, and that the word " Finis " may not sever friendships which have been full of interest, while beguiling many a lonely hour. Should these repetitions gain some little attention, and the failures described form a cnart by which perils may be avoided, the object of these pages will have been achieved. FRASER SANDEMAN. July 1892. CONTENTS. oJ*io Chap. Page I. " Thebe 's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the LIP " 1 II. A GAME Autumn Fish 7 III. The Angler's Friends and Enemies 15 IV. The Angler's Dress 18 V. Autumn Salmon-fishing 21 VI. Fly-fishing Tackle 27 VII. Wading 44 VIII. Casting and Working of Fly 61 IX. Trout-fishing in the " North Countrie " . . . . 58 X. Keep your Fly on the Water 65 XI. Playing a Fish 72 XII. Flies : Natural and Artificial 80 XIII. How TO Dress a Salmon-Fly 88 XIV. Original Patterns of Salmon-Flies 90 XV. Feathers chiefly required in Dressing Hooks 103 XVI. The Inglorious Death of a Thames Trout . . 104 VIU CONTENTS. Chap. Page XVII. The End of the Season 114 XVIII. A Fine Bag on the Test 123 XIX. A Lucky Evening 130 XX. Chub-fishing on the Thames. (Fly.) 137 XXI. May-fly Fishing 144 XXII. A Lucky Easter Holiday 155 XXin. A Wild Goose Chase 177 XXIV. A Queer Capture 182 XXV. Galway Bridge 185 XXVI. Bye-day Reminiscences 190 XXVII. Fishing the Minnow for Salmon 200 XXVIII. A Chapter of Accidents 207 XXIX. A Pretty Kettle of Fish 227 XXX. The Instinct and Senses of Fish 236 XXXI. Saprolegnia Ferax 245 XXXII. Tidal Waters 255 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. Thames Trout 1. Trout-Flies fa 2. Head of Smolt 3. Salmon-Fly 4. Hook in stages of being dressed •5. Hackles prepared for dressing 6. Hook in stages of being dressed 7. Hooks 8. Salmon-Flies. No. 1 & variety ». „ „ 3 & 4 10. „ „ 5&G 11. „ „ 12 12. „ „ 13&14 18. May-Flies 14. Fly and Minnow Boxes 1.5. Diseased Salmon Fi'ontts/nere actvff pat/e ,58- » » 61^ » » 88 » »» 90- >> » 91,. >» » 92^ >' » 94 V if 96 - »> »> 97^ >» M 98 " » » 101 - >> »> 102 ^ •> » 149^ )> >> 22o » »J 24.5 dt^U^O- ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT. 1. Lost ! page 14 2. Knot attaching Fly „ 43 3. The Fisherman's Companion „ 64 4. Grayling „ 129 5. Larva of May-Fly '. „ 154 0. The Angel „ 206 7. Salmon seized by Otter ,, 226 8. Gone ! „ 235 9. Salmon or Sea-Trout Flv „ 255 b By Hook and by Crook. CHAPTER I. ''there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." It was towards the end of April, the cold winds of a late winter had apparently departed, while the budding hedgerows proclaimed the approach of spring and the termination of the spring salmon-fishing ; so we were fortunate in having a few days at our disposal before putting up the rods for their summer holiday. Rain was reported by the papers to have been pretty general for the few previous days over the district which we proposed to visit ; but upon arrival we found, as is often the case, that it had not affected \» the river, and a glance at " the stane abeun the brig '' caused our hopes to fall, as, instead of " lepping " over it, the water was leaving a good eight inches dry. B 3 BY SOOK AND BY CROOK. This state of affairs was no good augury ; neverthe- less, with four days at our disposal, and a thorough " ken " of every pool, we did not despair of some sport. We fished the first two days, and by Saturday evening had only landed one kelt, which of course was returned to the water, and things would have in all probability gone badly with us had not some rain fallen in the hills that same night, which, by Monday morning, brought the river down some four or five inches, showing a fair tinge of colour. This was a decided improvement in our prospects, giving us renewed hope, as although this slight rise was not sufficient to bring fresh fish up from the sea, yet it would have caused those lying lower down to shift up, and, as is often the case under such circumstances, might induce them to take. Full of hope and breakfast, we made any early start on the Monday, and fished two or three pools with every care, but without success, and, strange to say, although the fish were jumping all over the place, not one could be induced to pay the slightest attention to delicacies in the shape of fly or angel (minnow) . In no very cheerful mood we moved up to the next pool above, which was always our favourite on account of the sport it generally afforded and the variety of casting it entailed to properly fish it. The head of the pool breaks over large boulders of rock, which raise the stream into miniature billows and afford excellent resting-places for the fish ; lower down THESE 'S MA2rT A SLIP," ETC. the currents gradually subside into fast-running curling water, only to be commanded by wading down under the high cliflf of red sandstone rock, from the crevices of which trees of many sorts projected, overhanging and shading the pool. Here and there the angler could wade out into the pool; but, for the most part, to command the catch the Spey cast had to be adopted, and even so it was difficult to fish it systematically down to the tail, as the eddies at the side sank the line at the angler's feet and pro- hibited everything but the use of a very short cast. We fished it down assiduously with the fly without even a touch, but as the sun was beating straight down on the pool we could not but feel that failure was not entirely the fault of the fish. In this state of the water we knew it was not the slightest use trying any but broken water, so we replaced the fly with the minnow and prepared to fish it down again. Large fish were continually jumping, as if to jeer at us ; and as, flashing in the sunlight, their silvery sides now and again fell flat on the surface of the water, the smack they made resounded for some distance and was sufficient to spur any angler on to redoubled eflForts. When fish are jumping all over a pool in this manner it seems incredible that not even one will make a mis- take ; but experience teaches that, whichever way they are inclined, they are, nine times out of ten, all of one mind. One keeps saying to one's self, " If only one b2 4 BY HOOK AND BY CBOOK. would take hold ! " but they don't, until perhaps one is getting thoroughly sick of it, and then at a most unexpected moment a fish takes the fly with a bang, and it is such a surprise that one is very likely to lose the fish in striking him too hard. In the present instance we had only fished a few yards down, and were casting the angel from the point of the rod with a short line in the very roughest water, when a big fish came at it with a bang that nearly pulled the rod out of hand and rendered any striking impossible and unnecessary. Fortunately we had put on a treble gut cast, or without doubt there would have been an accident. However, this time everything was safe and sound; and after the rod had replied to the tug we were delighted to find the fish well hooked and a big one. He ran about thirty yards off the reel at top speed, and then commenced to lash out with head and tail upon the surface of the water. It was a case of " Hold hard, good tackle ! " and hold hard it did, so that he then settled down in a more orderly fashion. This gave us our opportunity, and while holding him lightly we carefully threaded our way out amongst the boulders, until we gained shallow water on the level surface of the rock, then reeled up to him and, thinking he had enjoyed sufiicient inactivity, put extra pressure on, to which he replied by a leap, showing himself to be a large fresh-run cock fish. He next rushed down to the depths of the pool, then THERE S MANY A SLIP, ETC. O up to the surface, and so on, until in about fifteen minutes from the start he was dead beat, having had a real warm time. We then gained possession of our net, which at the commencement of hostilities we had placed up against the rock; but our man, upon seeing the position of affairs, M'aded down to us, took the net, and tried to pass it over the head of the fish; but the net being small we feared that the triangles in the snout of the fish might get hitched up in the meshes, so we told him to drop the net and tail the fish. Tliis he did, and we breathed freely, thinking that the fish was as good as landed ; but such was not to be, as the sequel proves. The fish's tail was very thick, and our man, thinking he had not a sufficiently secure hold to enable him to get safely to laud, lifted him high up with his right hand, while with the left he tried to hold the net under him, intending to drop him into it, to make assurance doubly sure. We told him to put the net into the water, so that when he let the fish go the water might take the weight off the net. However, before he could follow orders, he somehow or other let the fish slip from his grasp, with the fatal result that he went through the net like a flash of lightning, the hooks tearing a hole for him to pass. We were still hoping to feel the line tighten ; but no, it came back to us severed just above the bait, the triangles remaining in his mouth, while the body of 6 ST HOOK AND BY dtOOK. the angel fell on to tlie rock. He was a bright new-run fish^ and a rare deep one, of at least 30 lb. The loss was most annoying; however, there was nothing to be done but to try for another. But fish, like cards, never forgive, and we had not another touch. The moral we noted was, that if you have an attendant who is not up to his work you had better by far net or gaff your own fish, and leave him to confine his energies to the transport of the bag. The poor chap was fearfully cut up at the loss ; so we had not the heart to say much about it, especially as we knew that he was most anxious for us to land fish. But it was a sore point with him for a long while, and many a bit of good-humoured chaff he had to put up with upon the subject. [ 7 ] CHAPTER 11. A GAME AUTUMN FISH, On the receipt of news that the river was in flood for the first time since the summer, we arranged to arrive there a couple of days later, by which time the water would probably be in order, as, although it was just a bit early for a run of large fish, yet there would cer- tainly be a lot up fresh from the sea and so likely to take. Upon arrival we were somewhat disappointed to find the river much lower than we had expected, and came to the conclusion that, in the first place, the advice we had received of the height of the flood had been some- what exaggerated, and, secondly, that the two nights of frost which had intervened had caused the river to fall in quickly. However, there was no doubt that the fresh-run fish could not have yet passed by to the upper waters, so we determined to have a few days with them. After a few hours at the waterside it was evident there were but few fish up, and those very careful of 8 BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. their skins ; so much so, that all we did that day was to hook a fish which, after a few minutes' pl^-y, got away, the probability being that he never was properly hooked. To reach him it was necessary to cast a very long line, and, as is invariably the case under such circum- stances (especially, as in this instance, when the stream is slack), the strike, by the time it reached the fish, was a very mild one ; and although we suspected he was but lightly hooked, we had not sufficient pluck to give him a second dose. In these cases it is very difficult to determine what to do — whether to catch hold of him hard by the head, in the hope of driving the hook home, or to play him lightly and trust to luck. In all probability the result would be the same which- ever tactics might be adopted, viz. the loss of the fish ; at least that has, unfortunately, been our experience. Yet, after the loss of the fish, one always thinks that other treatment might have been attended with a dif- ferent result ; but, unfortunately, there are no means of proving the matter. This was the only chance we had that day ; so all we could do was to mark down the rising fish for future use. We started off next morning, accompanied by a friend, who had arrived from the North enticed by our descrip- tion of sport obtained upon previous occasions, and being anxious to blood him, put him into the pool. A GAME AUTVMN FISH. 9 having first of all described the salient points and indicated the most likely spots for a taking fish. It is curious how so many anglers accustom them- selves to cast over one shoulder only, and more curious that if right-handed casting is requisite the angler is pretty certain to be an adept at left-handed, and vice versa-, and often, after fishing under these difficulties for some time, he crosses over to the other bank and then thinks that the left-handed practice has anything but improved his right-handed casting. Most anglers are fine fishermen during the after- dinner smoke, aud it is a rare thing to find one at that time who can cast less than 30 yards ; this cast appears to be much more easily accomplished in a 30-foot room than at the waterside : perhaps the wind may account for this ! Upon this occasion right-handed casting was neces- sary ; so, of course, our friend from the day of his birth had been casting over the left shoulder. As his own style was useless, aud he could not manage the other, he made a compromise by casting left-handed over the right shoulder. By this method the line, when at full length in the air, instead of being pretty well in a line up stream, flew direct inland and hovered over the high bank, upon which turnips had elected to grow ; and it was in a plucky attempt to transplant one of these into the river that, unfortunately, his top joint came to grief, causing a cessation of hostilities until a second top was fetched. 10 SY SOOK AND BY CBOOK. We then fished the pool without result, even in the shape of a casualty ; and as not even the movement of a fish did we see, both strolled down bank, drew several pools blank, feeling pretty sick of it, although a fish rose at our friend's fly, but, missing it, refused to make a second attempt. It was now getting late ; so we proposed to walk up to the top pool, then, if our friend could not hook one, to give it up for the day. But he was tired of the business, and went home to do some letter- writing ; so we decided to give it a cast over. The first time down, at about the middle of the pool, a fish took the fly with a bang ; and a rare lively one it was. However, she came to bank in about a quarter of an hour — a pretty hen fish of about 16 lb., and fresh run. Thus our day finished better than we anticipated. We had a piece for dinner, and a better never was tasted, the flesh being as firm as possible, with curd between the flakes. The water by this time had considerably fallen in ; so the next day we determined to try some of the pools lower down, which, as a rule, fished best in a lowish water. But we soon had cause to regret our decision, as, after some hours at the waterside, we had not seen a fish move. We then dropped down to our favourite pool, in which we generally got a bit of sport. Some pools seem to favour particular anglers, and get known as so-and-so's pet pool ; and the remark may often be heard, " That's the pool in which so-and-so A GAME AUTUMN FISH. 11 gets all his fish." It may be that a particular angler's method of casting and working the fly may suit a pool better than that of others ; but more likely that, in the first instance, having been lucky in a certain pool, the angler bestows more attention upon it in the future, in the same way that one angler gets most of his fish with a particular pattern of fly, for the simple reason that he mostly uses it; but this is no proof that he would not have done equally well with another pattern. This, our favourite pool, was a difficult one to fish, the sandstone rock towering out of the very river to a height of 200 feet or more, and supporting many trees, which extended their branches over the stream down to the water-level. The combination of left-handed casting and switching, which the background necessitated, caused our friend, by his recent experiences, to decline the contest ; so we commenced to cast it, and about halfway down, under an overhanging tree, felt that peculiar tug which no one but an angler can appreciate. We gave him another in response, when he settled down in mid-channel, which was most obliging on his part, as it enabled us to wade quietly back to the edge of the pool, and while so doing shouted for our attendant with the gaff", whom we were soon glad to see wading up along the base of the rock. Then the fun began ; for the fish, in answer to the increased pressure applied, took a run of about 60 yards straight down stream, then came to the surface, lashing 12 £¥ SOOK AND BY CROOK. out with head and tail on the rough waves, making us tremble for the fate of our single gut. He next came slowly back, enabling us to reel up, but was no sooner at a handy distance than he made a grand rush straight across the river, only halting withiu a yard or so of the opposite bank, a distance of 70 to 80 yards. He then jumped clean out of the water, and as soon as he fell in, without the slightest warning, rushed straight back to our feet. It was simply im- possible to reel up so as to take in the slack line ; and consequently we did not for some time know if he were still on. However, when we did reel up, rather to our surprise he was still on. He then gave us a bit of a rest, remaining stationary at a depth of 15 feet of water for a quarter of an hour, until, getting tired of his inactivity, we took a long, steady haul at him, which had effect, as he replied with a grand run down stream at such a pace that our reel (a 5^-inch, with strong check) overran itself, coiling a lot of line loosely the wrong way. Thinking that first of all we had better put this right, we waded a few yards back, paying out the line until all was clear, and had scarcely reeled up five yards while dropping down to the fish, when off he went again, taking with him 30 or 40 yards of line, which caused us to congratulate ourselves upon having taken an early opportunity of getting it clear on the reel, or we should certainly have parted with something. The fish then came slowly up until opposite to us, and continued to A OAME AUTUMN FISH. 13 make way up to the head of the pool, obliging us to pass under the branches of the trees with the line reeled up until the gut cast touched the rod top ; no sooner there, than off he went down stream again with another run, and again settled down. This business was real good sport, such as one rarely gets even with the best of springers ; still we must admit that after a certain length of time docility in a fish can be appreciated : however, this fish was unfettered by the influence of school boards and prided himself upon the eccentricities of his own sweet will, so, as soon as he had rested awhile, indulged in a dive of about 30 ft., or perhaps more, and just as we were speculating as to what would be his next move, we felt the cast grate and held hard against what was undoubtedly a rock in the depths of the pool. Here was a case of neck or nothing, and, for choice, selecting the neck, we instantaneously dropped the point of the rod to the level of the water, and felt the line draw clear off the boulder, while immediately after the fish jumped clean out of the water, almost under our eyes, with the fly and cast hanging from his jaw. With grave doubts we reeled up, as there so far was nothing to prove that the line was not cut; however, these were soon dispelled, as the gradual draw on the line indicated that the ruse had been successful and the fish was still on. By this time the effects of his exertion were begin- ning to tell, and his runs became shorter and shorter. 14 BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. signals of distress, intimating that the end was not far off. No convenient place for gaffing presented itself, so we encouraged him in making up stream, where the water ran shallower over the rocky bottom, enabling our friend to gaff him nicely behind the shoulder — a fresh-run cock fish of 23 lb., as bright and shapely as any spring fish, without mark or scar upon him. We were playing him for 1^ hours, during which he never gave us, or we gave him, a moment's rest, being hard on him all the time : we never killed a better sporting fish in spring or autumn, or one which employed such a variety of means to effect escape ; he was game to the last, dying with his back up, never having showed a side throughout the long encounter. Lost! [ 15 ] CHAPTER III. THE angler's friends AND ENEMIES. The angler, by keeping his eyes wide open at the river- side, may frequently obtain valuable information from the movements of the animals and birds making their homes by the water. For instance, the flight of a heron, water-hen, or mallard will often denote the presence of other anglers at adjacent pools, and when everyone is fishing "jealous '^ such information may be valuable and occasion a change of tactics. Again, an inspection of the banks may discover foot- prints, and by their impression the angler can frequently determine when the pool was last fished and in which direction the fisherman departed. Care should be taken not to leave any kit within reach of cattle, as they are very curious about any un- common object, and will push it about until by chance it falls into the river. This once happened to a friend of ours with whom we were fishing, and upon returning for his bag he could not find it anywhere, so came to 16 BY HOOK AND BT CEOOS:. the unsatisfactory conclusion that either it had been stolen or the cattle had pushed it into the water : the former seemed unlikely, but still the more probable explanation ; however, nearly six months after his fly- book was returned to him by some fishermen who had caught it while fishing with dredge-nets in the estuary 15 miles lower down ; his name was just legible, but the book was worthless, and the flies it contained ruined, still the mystery was cleared up. When otters are known to exist in a river, the angler should be careful to put any fish he has killed out of their reach, for, as we know to our cost, they are capable of making off" with a fresh-killed salmon in broad day- light — the tracks of the animal in the sand left no room for doubt in the instance we quote ; likewise pigs will worry and devour salmon left within their reach. Not long ago we left a large fish on the bank while fishing the pool over a second time, and happening to look round saw an old sow worrying it. We were casting from a boat, and shouted aloud as the man pulled to shore ; fortunately the fish, being over 30 lb., was too large to enable her to mouth it until she seized it by the tail and dragged it up the bank through a hedge. When the man got to her she dropped the fish and made for him open-mouthed, but she went off with a well-directed kick on the snout. We fully expected to view the fish badly mauled, but were glad to find that a good washing in the river revealed nothing more serious than a split in the tail. THE ANOLEM's FEIENBS AND ENEMIES. 17 It appeared that she and her companions were well used to fish, being in the habit of grubbing up the diseased ones which were taken out of the river from time to time by the watchers ; and the farmer told us that he had often observed the animals searching the river edge for these, and that they would even enter the water in their endeavours to make a capture. Poultry also will eat such refuse ; it is said to make hens lay well. [ 18 ] CHAPTER IV. THB angler's BEESS. Although a matter of minor importance, a few sugges- tions upon the subject may not be entirely unprofit- able ; and as necessity exists that the angler should be clothed somehow or another, there is no reason why he should not select the kit best adapted for the purpose. The coat should be made with plenty of room across the chest and back, and the sleeves large at arm-pit and elbow, as nothing is more uncomfortable than to be hindered by tightly-fitting garments when casting ; the collar should be cut deep and made so that it can be buttoned up under the chin when wanted. Perhaps the pattern known as the Norfolk blouse is the best suited for fishing, made with attention to the above points, and provided with pockets in the breast, which can be reached when the waders are on, the material being such as will keep out both cold and rain. A Shetland knitted jersey to wear under the waist- coat will be found very useful in cold weather. Knickerbockers and stockings are good, but breeches THE ANOLEr's DSESS. 19 of homespun made loose and to button down to the ankle are easiest to put inside waders. A waterproof coat or cape made long enough to over- lap short waders and provided with hooks and eyes, so that it can be shortened for use with high waders, will be found very useful at times ; the sleeves should termi- nate with india-rubber wristlets similar to those of a diverts suit, so as to prevent the water running down the arm when raised to cast. It is just as well that the angler should be as invisible as possible to the fish, and with this object he should select the colour of his clothes. There is not much room for doubt upon this subject, as nature provides such an admirable pattern in the heron, who gains his living in identically the same positions as the human angler — sometimes up to its breast in water, at others standing on the stones at the border of the stream ; so that if materials are selected of a colour to resemble this bird's plumage the angler will not be far wrong. A cap made of cloth of loose texture is handy, as the hooks can so easily be fixed in and released from its threads, likewise the loop end of the gut attached to the fly. Wading- boots or brogues should be well studded with stout nails, to prevent slipping on the rocks, which is a matter of serious importance upon many rivers. Wooden clogs with iron rim on the sole are far the best and cheapest for the purpose if the angler can c2 20 BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. learn to walk with them, the great advantage being that the iron-rimmed sole holds so well upon rocks, and when worn down can be readily renewed. Waders should always be tried on at time of purchase, as the different sizes are made of the same proportions, whereas with men it is not so. [ 21 ] CHAPTER V. AUTUMN SALMON-FISHINO. Spring fishing, there can be no doubt, is held in higher esteem than back-end or autumn fishing, and generally most anglers will say rightly so, although we do not think the argument is so one-sided as many would have us believe, as we have landed many and many a plucky autumn fish after having afforded as fine sport as any spring fish we have ever grassed, and unfortu- nately we must admit that many have succeeded by their struggles in either making escape or breaking us. Yet, generally speaking, the spring fish must be con- sidered superior for sporting and kitchen purposes to their later running brethren, for the simple reason that they, ascending the rivers in the early months of the year, leave the sea with their spawn in a much less developed state than those running up in the autumn ; the spawn also in the initial stages advances more slowly towards ripeness, and is further retarded by the lower temperature of the water in early months, so the spring fish naturally retain the condition in which they enter 22 BT ROOK AND BY CROOK. the river longer tlian the autumn fish^ and^ in conse- quence, afford the angler more sport. To resume : the condition of the fish they capture and the amount of sport afforded in the process appear to some anglers to be secondary considerations, as compared with the actual attainment of something for the pot; the golden- coloured fish which has been in the river for weeks hanging about a pool until the milt is almost dropping out of him is quite as desirable an acquisition as the fresh-run autumn fish ; a fish is a fish to him, and he may be observed sticking for days to- gether into a pool of slow-running water, from which he occasionally hauls an old red he with as much satis- faction as he would a fresh-run fish. Such anglers must know from the nature of the deep silent pool that it is no resting-place for a fresh fish ; they can see the great red hes wallowing now and again upon its surface, yet delight to confine their efforts to their capture ; and should they perchance at the termi- nation of the day's sport (?) have three or more killed on the bank, the thin flanks and golden scales will not detract one iota from the pride of their achievement. We lately met one of these sportsmen (?) who was gloating over the capture of three such fish, weighing from 25 lb. to 30 lb. apiece, of a deep golden colour from head to tail, and ornamented with snouts like that of a pig. We had watched him land them from the opposite bank, and the process was simple in the ex- treme, for as soon as the fish was hooked he sulked AVTUMN 8ALM0N-FISSING. 23 at the bottom, then gradually became exhausted, and allowed himself to be hauled in to within reach of the gaff, the behaviour of the fish and fisherman being pre- cisely similar upon each occasion. As the fish lay on the bank the milt was fairly exuding from them, and altogether the spectacle was so repul- sive that, in order to bring home to the angler some truth of his wanton destruction, we were prompted to inquire, " Whatever will you do with them ? ^' In a tone of surprise the answer given was, " Why, kipper them, to be sure, and they will serve me and my friends in Liverpool all the winter I " It was really a sickening sight, and we were glad to pass on ; but never shall forget it, and the visions which we conjured up while thinking how, perchance, if they had been allowed to perform the functions of nature, they would have gained finer proportions in the sea and returned to give sport and food fit for man. We saw this sportsman^s takes duly recorded in the leading sporting papers, the weights all given, but not a word as to the condition of the fish. This class of sportsman would probably argue that, as the fish in that condition were of as much value to him as if fresh -run, he was fully justified in laying himself out for their destruction ; but by any one who did not hold the virtues of the pot so immediately in view, the system of killing the goose which would lay the golden eggs (or, strictly speaking, fertilize them) would be deprecated. 24 Br KOOK AND BT CROOS:. The extension of the angling season, which of late years has been granted on many rivers^ has given great scope to this doubtful class of sport ; and as it is beyond argument that hundreds of fish are killed annually just prior to the time when they would fulfil the require- ments of nature, it is a very open question whether, generally speaking, these extensions are not a mistake. The extension was granted to give anglers the oppor- tunity to kill fresh fish which ascend certain rivers at a late period of the year, and also to give those fishing the upper waters a fair chance of sport, and with these objects was right enough, but unfortunately with the use came the abuse. The intrinsic value of the kelt in the economy of nature cannot be compared with that of the ill-con- ditioned unspawned fish, and thus it would seem an anomaly that the latter is denied the legal protection which is provided for the kelt. Kelts and ill-conditioned unspawned fish usually frequent the same portions of a pool, viz., the slow- running deep water, for the simple reason that neither has sufficient energy to combat the fast-running streams; so as a rule any sportsman who is worthy of the name can confine his efforts to waters which will give him sport, avoiding catches which will in all probability only yield what to him are worthless fish. To such as these the extension is a great boon, and it would be very hard upon them if the laws were repealed on account of the unsportsmanlike practices of others ; AUTUXS SALMON-FISSING. 25 every sport or pastime has its unwritten laws wliicli the amateur (in the literal meaning of the word) loves to respect, and to him a measure to prohibit the capture of ill-conditioned unspawned fish would be welcome, but inasmuch as no particular stage through which they pass to this end can be readily defined, legislature can- not intervene beyond fixing the close time. With the kelt, of course, it is different, as his con- dition is apparent to the practised eye or even hand, although to novices a well-mended one may cause some hesitation, when he first leaves the water. It is unfortunate that towards the end of the angling- season upon some rivers hen fish are caught in far greater numbers than the cocks ; to all appearances, judging from the rising or jumping fish, there are more hes than she-fish in the water, but the latter take more freely and are in much better condition, frequenting right up to the close of the season the swiftly-running streams which at the commencement of another season will be the home of the spring fish. Of course at this season of the year the fresh-run she-fish, although as bright as a shilling, are what is known by the term " full-bellied"; yet in accordance with our experience their condition does not handicap them in their fight with the angler — in fact we have never had better sport than with many fresh-run autumn fish that have fallen to our share. The he-fish would appear to run up the rivers in the autumn rather earlier than the she-fish ; and having 26 BY SOOZ AND BY CROOK. selected some deep pool as a suitable abode, rests there until quite ripe for spawning, then shifts up to the spawning-beds just above. "While resting in the deep pools many fall victims to the tinsel-bodied fly, which has a peculiar fascination for them in this condition. Now the habits of the she-fish differ from this, in that they appear to run up later and retain their bright colour, taking the fly freely during the first few days they are in the fresh water. When they once commence to go off colour they would seem to seek the spawning-bcds and show no desire for the fly, nor do they rise or jump out of the water so frequently as is the habit with the males in a like condition. It is more rare to catch a *Ae-fish discoloured and full of spawn, although they can be seen easily enough lying adjacent to the redds. In the kelt stage the she- fish appears to remain in the river much later than the male, and, to compensate for her self-imposed privations previous to spawning, devours the smelts in great numbers, following them down to the sea, or rather dropping down before them, and may be said to remain in the river until the smolts have departed. Great numbers of smolts are thus destroyed before they have a chance of reaching the sea; but the prolific nature of the salmon renders this apparent waste a matter of detail, and in all probability the kelt of both sexes requires food to render him or her fit to face the sea and their enemies contained therein. [ 27 ] CHAPTER VI. FLT-FISEJNQ TACKLE. Anglers as a rule are very conservative in their ideas respecting rods and tackle, for the simple reason tliat they get accustomed to various makes and shapes, and after a certain amount of practice find they can get as much, and perhaps in caches own opinion more, out of their selections than any other angler gets out of his. Use is everything ; and it is only when a man has ascertained how he can obtain the greatest effect with the least effort in casting, that he can say he is at home with his rod and tackle. Yet because he has arrived at perfection more or less with a certain make of rod, it is no proof that he could not do better with another ; and as there are other points to be taken into conside- ration, the subject is worth a little thought. When on the banks of a river two fishermen are seen— one fitted out with all the latest inventions sold by the tackle-maker in point of rod, reel, line, &c., and the other, may be, a working-man, to whom the pro- prietor has given an odd day, relying on tackle of local 28 BY HOOK AND £1 CBOOK. or even home manufacture — we cannot but remark the differences of the two outfits, although if the two were followed up, the one apparently the worst provided might easily leave the river having had the better sport, irrespective of the probability of his being a local angler and therefore in possession of a thorough knowledge of the water. By commencing in this strain we by no means intend to convey the idea that all new inventions are fads, as of course improvements are continually being made in angling appliances as in other articles ; but we certainly consider that when an effective article has been ob- tained, the simpler it is in construction the better it is suited for work by the waterside, as, in the first place, it is less liable to get out of order, and, secondly, should it go wrong it is more easily put right. Tlie Rod. — The main points to be considered in a rod are — (1) Strength and durability, (2) capability of casting a long and light line, (3) the possibility of repair at the waterside in case of accident, (4) combi- nation for convenience of carriage, and (5) the ease with which it can be put up and taken down. The first three are all important, and the two latter should not be allowed to interfere with them in any way, as they are simply matters of convenience. For salmon-fishing a three-jointed rod meets all requirements, and as the most usual length is about 18 ft., plenty of good sound timber is procurable for the manufacture of the requisite lengths, and at the FLT-FISRiya TACKLE. 29 same time the rod is not inconvenient of carriage when down. For trout-fishing a rod from 10 ft. to 12 ft., in accordance with the size of the river, consisting of 3 or 4 joints, is generally used, but details are not of such importance in a trout- as in a salmon-rod, as the strain is not as severe. In most patterns of rods, joints, or rather joint- fittings, are elements of weakness, and therefore it is as well to do with as few of them as possible ; but as we have to endure them, why should we not select such as will minimize this weakness, or discard the patterns which possess this defect ? The rod whose joints are connected by splices is the strongest pattern of all, as by this simple principle what is usually the weakest is converted into the strongest part; whereas in the ferrule-jointed rod the actual joint is rigid, and consequently prevents the entire rod bending together, and causes a series of jars from butt to top, so much so that in time the edges of the ferrule cut into the wood, breaking the skin, the consequence being that sooner or later, when some extra pressure is brought to bear, the rod breaks at the point where nine out of ten breakages do occur in ferrule-jointed rods — viz., immediately above or below the ferrule. The bell-mouthed ferrules now in use to a certain extent overcome this difficulty, but the in- herent cause of mischief still remains. Another great objection to ferrules is that sooner or 30 Sr HOOK AND BY CROOK. later the water penetrates into them and destroys the glue with which they are fixed, and, as it cannot dry- out, eventually rots the part of the joint contained inside the ferrule. A pin of brass is sometimes driven through the ferrule and joint, which of course weakens the wood, and it is here that the breakage usually takes place, after which the angler will probably break every instru- ment he has in his attempts to extricate the portion still remaining, and when that is done he still has no easy task, without the necessary tools, to refit the joint. A further objection still exists to ferrule joints — viz., that however much they may be soaped, oiled, or vaselined, they frequently object to come apart, and in the process of twisting the joints in opposite direc- tions, or in the application of heat, damage is easily done, either to the grain of the joint or the glue which secures it. Mineral oil dropped into the joint is about the best thing for stubborn ferrules, as if left a little while it will penetrate more quickly than any other oil. The splice-jointed rod has none of these objections, yet it is not what may be called the most popular pattern, on account of the little extra time and labour in making the splices. In point of time there is only about a minute or two difference in putting up splice and ferrule-jointed rod, so no doubt the process of splicing is what handicaps it. FLT'FISMINQ TACKLE. 31 Splicing up a rod is certainly not the most pleasant of operations in a cutting east wind, but still it does not take long, and it is not always necessary to take down more than the top joint. Should a breakage occur in the middle of a joint away from the ferrule or splice, it is of course as easy to repair one pattern of rod as the other ; but should the splice-jointed rod go at or close to the splice, it is much more easily repaired than the same catastrophe with a ferrule-jointed rod, and with the former it will be generally admitted the casualties are few as com- pared with those of the latter. In casting with either pattern of rod any one who is worthy to be called an angler should be able to obtain all that is necessary, giving of course a few hours' practice to get into the use of a new rod ; but it is only fair to the ferrule rod to say that perhaps a lighter line can be cast with it than with the splice rod, yet against that the latter is far preferable for switching, or the Spey cast. As regards length of line to be thrown, there is not much difference, but in the teeth of a wind we much prefer the splice rod. Built or spliced-cane trout-rods are very good to cast with, but a breakage is too horrible to contem- plate — the splinters they fly into defy repair at the waterside; so unless the angler is close to his own door, he had better take a second rod out with him. The cost of the rods also puts them beyond many 32 SY HOOK AND BY CBOOK. pockets, and complaints are frequently being made of the glue giving way, but with attention from time to time this should be obviated. It may be argued that they do not break, but we have seen many a one do so. The same applies to this make of salmon-rod, and those we have tried built with a steel centre are very heavy in the hand as compared with our usual rod. Each to his taste; but should the angler purchase a cane-built rod, he must buy the best, irrespective of price. In some parts rods are almost entirely used havirg the lower joint (rather more than two thirds of the entire rod) composed of hollow bamboo, and the top of lance-wood or greenheart. We have seen a good line cast with these; but any one may have our share of them, as, in our opinion, they are unwieldy and cumbersome to cast and throw too much weight upon the top joint when killing a fish, and are decidedly bad against a wind, their cheapness being, in our opinion, their only advantage, costing as they do about 20*. It takes a long time to kill with them, and the fact of their consisting of only two joints would be an objection to many. Taking all things into consideration, for salmon and sea-trout fishing we prefer a splice-jointed rod, con- sidering it the most serviceable in every way for the strong rough work it has to do and go through ; for a rod gets some nasty knocks while being dragged through many a closely grown wood, and likely enough FLT-FISSINQ TACKLE. 33 at the same time over rough granite or sandstone boulders upon which it takes the angler all his time to keep his feet. Under such circumstances as these we very much object to be obliged to give the attention to our rod amongst the trees which should be bestowed upon the more important work of keeping one's feet. For trout-fishing the rod does not so much matter, and as we incline to the belief that the ferrule rods as now made cast a lighter line than splice rods (which is the most important consideration), we give them the preference. For our own use in salmon-fishing we prefer the Castleconnell rods, and for the stated reason we have for many years used them. Our stock now consists of three, and, although they have seen the roughest of work, they are as sound as the day they were made ; they each have two top joints, and all twelve joints are now as they were made. Many times have we seen the tops of ferrule-jointed rods break when the fly has caught by accident in a tree or bank, and although we have been often guilty of the same indiscretion, we have never yet paid the penalty. Therefore we shall remain true to our old friends, and may they continue to behave to us as heretofore ! then we shall have no cause to alter our opinion of Enright and his works. Rod-fittings. — These should be as simple as possible. Two brass circular bands, one fixed and the other movable, answer all purposes. The rings should be large, so as to allow the line to 34 BY SOOK AND BY CROOK. run througli with little friction, and there should be plenty of them, so as to distribute the weight evenly over the entire length of the rod when casting or play- ing a fish. The size of the rings should decrease towards the top of the rod, so as to prevent the line falling back through them by its own weight ; but, as a rule, the size of the rings is too much reduced towards the top, causing un- necessary friction when paying out line, whereas the line should take itself out as soon as released from the reel without assistance from the rod. Ferrules should be bell-mouthed at the ends towards the middle of the joint they enclose, so as not to cut the skin of the wood. N.B. — All rods should be kept well varnished, copal varnish being the best for this purpose, so that they may not become sodden by the water and lose their spring; the varnish also materially stiffens the rod. The difference in the pliability of a rod before and after being revarnishcd is remarkable, as the angler can easily prove for himself. Rod-makers generally whip the rings on to the rod with fine silk, probably on account of neatness, which soon gets frayed and comes undone. This is a mistake ; very thick silk should be used. The Reel. — The reel should be selected of such a weight as will nicely balance the rod, and should be tried with the rod for which it is intended before pur- chase, the tendency being towards the selection of too FLT-FISEJNO TACKLE. 35 light a reel. A reel looks very much larger in a shop than it does at the waterside. A salmon-reel should be capable of holding from 100 to 120 yards of line ; a trout-reel 30 yards of line. The drum of the reel should be of large circumference, so that the line when required can be quickly wound up, and being large enables the reel to contain a given quantity of line without necessitating a Mide barrel. This makes the reel of narrow width and large diameter, which is far preferable to the reverse, as it winds the line up more regularly and does not allow it to choke. A reel of perfect workmanship is made by Moscrop, 25 Market Place, Manchester. It contains no screws, can be taken to pieces in a moment, and the check regulated at will. For salmon-fishing a good strong check should be provided; the usual ones are far too weak. A reel such as this will answer all requirements of fly-fishing, is simple in construction, and, if kept free from grit and occasionally well lubricated with mutton- fat, will last for ages. On most rivers there exist spots where fish rest, but are so fenced in that it is impossible to get a fly out. To overcome this difficulty Ave use a minnow, with a Nottingham reel, from which about 50 yards can be cast from a position where there is only room to swing a short rod. These reels work admirably, and with half an hour^s practice anyone can become an adept in their use. d2 36 BT HOOK AND BT CROOK. They are supplied by Slater of Newark-on-Trent, the patentee, and by most tackle-makers. They cast best with a small lead. The Reel Line. — It is of the first importance that the line be selected of the correct weight to suit the rod, as upon this point the ability to cast a long straight line mainly depends. Nothing is more unsatisfactory than being obliged to cast with a line too heavy or too light for the rod ; it is difficult to say which is the greater evil. If the line be too heavy, a long cast, which is occasionally necessary, is out of the question, if any regard be held for the rod, as nothing strains it sooner; and if it be too light the cast cannot be made without flicking or jerking, and then the line seldom falls straight. By a straight line we mean a cast that is made so that the fly strikes the water at the desired spot with a length of line as little as possible in excess of the distance to be covered, of course taking into calcula- tion the angle made by the rod and the surface of the water. For Trout-fishing a silk and hair line plaited is per- haps as good as anything, and if tapered for a distance of about 15 yards to each end, so much the better. Twisted lines kink. For very fine fishing a plaited hair-line is best, but in rough water a dressed silk line may be preferred. For Sea-troitt-fishinff an undressed or dressed silk line is the best. Most anglers will probably prefer the :eLT-Fi8HiNa tackle. 37 latter, as they can be cast to a greater distance and better against a wind. It should be about 40 to 50 yards in length. For Salmon-fishing the line should be from 100 to 120 yards in length, in accordance with the size of the water. These lines are made of plaited hair, hair and silk plaited together, and plaited silk dressed in various ways. The former are very pretty to use, as line can be paid out so smoothly from the rod ; they also fall lightly on the water, which is not an objection ; but the dressed silk line is in most general use. These, although expensive, are probably the cheapest in the long run, as, if well dried after use, they are very serviceable, and they are easier to cast with than undressed lines, especially in the teeth of a wind. There are many patent lines dressed in various ways, the main object of all being to preserve the line from becoming rotten by the action of the water j and no doubt the various recipes perform their duties with a certain amount of success, but unfortunately many of the dressings have a tendency to crack at any point where the line has been doubled, and many of them peel off. For instance, it often happens that the angler trails his rod behind him while passing tlirough a wood, and now and again some branch or twig will catch and hold the line, or the line while cast in the air may be doubled back in a knot by a gust of wind, 38 BY HOOK AND BY CROOr. SO in either of these cases care must be taken in putting it straight not to crack the highly varnished dressing. We cannot stand this gingerbread class of tackle, which requires more care (and therefore time) in looking after it than the actual casting and working of the fly. We have complained of these faults to the tackle- maker who supplied the lines, and the answer has in- variably been — "They were so first of all, but lately the manufacturers have discovered a process which eradicates those faults." We sincerely hope they have, but at the same time take no further interest in the subject, as after consi- derable use are of opinion that, as a thorough dressing for a line, there is nothing to beat plain boiled linseed- oil. We prefer those of a red-brown colour and semi- transparent, the dressing they carry not being too thick. They are a very good colour in the water, and do not show so white after much use as most others, and, if ordinary care be taken to dry them, will last a long time. Lines tapering at both ends are also sold, and if an angler prefer them, by all means let him use them, but there are some objections to them. It may be taken for granted that in the tapered line the end to which the gut cast is attached is no thicker than the weight of the fish requires ; it follows, then, that the remainder of the line is needlessly thick for the purpose of killing FLT-FISHINQ TACZZE. 39 fish. Thus an unnecessary weight is put upon the top of the rod, and as casts of many different lengths are made during a day's fishing, it often happens that a thick portion of the line is just out of the top ring, whose weight makes it touch the water straight under the rod's point ; whereas if the line were of the ordinaiy size it would be carried out much straighter by the action of the stream upon its extremity, which is greatly to be preferred, as then the angler is in much closer touch with his fly. The extra weight also imposes more strain upon the rod top and the angler's wrist in work- ing the fly. A line of the same size from end to end can be re- versed on the reel when one extremity is worn; and when both ends have been used in this way it can be cut in the centre and the two worn ends spliced, thus affording to all intents two new lines. This latter device cannot be resorted to in the case of the taper line, but being only a matter of economy perhaps would not appeal to all. The most economical angler will wind on his reel about 70 yards of strong twiue (made for the purpose), and whip to that 30 yards of the usual dressed silk, which he will reverse when worn, thus obtaining vir- tually six lines out of 100 yards of dressed line, but we prefer the plan described above, by which four are obtained. Should a few yards of the untapered line become too much worn to be safe, they can be cut off without 40 BY HOOK ANB BY CROOI^. prejudice to the weight of the line in casting, but not so with the tapered line. Gut Casts. — In selecting gut it is as well to see that it be round in form; this point is of the greatest importance as regards strength, and no flat-sided strands should be used as single gut. The form of gut is apparent to the eye ; it can also be tested by rolling the strands between fore finger and thumb, when, if it be round, some difficulty will be found in making it spin, whereas should it be at all flat it will quickly do so. New gut is preferable, but by keeping in wash- leather in a tin box it will little deteriorate ; but whether new or old season's crop, gut should always be well soaked before use. For salmon -fishing a cast of two yards of treble twisted or plaited gut, gradually tapered and termi- nating with one yard of single gut, is in general use, except when the water is very fine, when a cast com- posed entirely of single gut may be preferred. For salmon-fishing the cast should end with a loop at either extremity. For sea- trout and trout, single gut is sufficiently strong. Gut should be stained, and perhaps the blue shade in general use is as good as any other ; but this may be left to the individual taste of the angler. A tumbler full of ink with a piece of copperas of about the size of a pea makes a very good stain ; the cast should be washed in water as soon as it has attained the desired shade. Stain only for present use. FLT-FISEIXG TACKLE. 41 It should be remembered that, to judge of the colour of all tackle used under water in the capture of fish, it is necessary to regard them from the fishes' and not the anglers' point of view, for in one case light is the background and in the other darkness relieved by reflected light. The cast may be attached directly to the fly, but when (as is usually the case with salmon-flies) the hook is only furnished with a loop at the head, the better plan is to have a single strand of gut attached by a knot to the fly, the other end terminating with a loop by which it is fastened to the gut cast. By this method time is saved in changing flies, and it protects the neck of the fly and end of the cast from wear and tear. We have now arrived at the hook, the pattern of which may be left to the taste of the angler, those in most general use perhaps being the Limerick and the Sprout Bend ; but whatever pattern of hook be used, it is most important that the gut loop be securely whipped to it, and with this object the whipping should extend from the shoulder to the point where the bend commences, just above the space to be occupied by the butt and tinsel ; and in order that the body may not appear clumsy when dressed, should treble gut be used, the strands may be cut off" at dififerent lengths to form a taper. Landing-nets and gaff's are made in various patterns ; those with telescopic handles are most convenient, and 42 BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. the nets should be well coated with varnish so that the hook may not become hanked. For wading in rough places^ should the gaff or net be affixed to a good stout stick it will afford great assistance. Our favourite outfit for salmon-fishing is : — An 18 ft. 6 in. Castleconnell rod ; a good large reel Avith handle attached to plate^ weight 22 oz. ; 100 yds. of silk line dressed with boiled linseed-oil ; and a cast composed of 2 yds. of treble twisted and 1 yd. of single gut, the stoutest and roundest obtainable. With this tackle an excellent cast can be made of a length to satisfy most people and a fish played with confidence, while the weight is not such as will cause the angler to feel distressed at the end of his day ; although, should he be compelled to thread his way through woods or over rocky cliffs, he can afford to give his whole attention to the foothold, the tackle being tough enough to resist any raps it may receive by contact with the surrounding obstacles. Of course it must not be inferred that rod and tackle are advocated of such strength as will enable the angler to march headlong through rough country with- out any chance of breakage ; but we heartily detest to have drawing-room articles put into our hands for use over rough country, the safety of which is an incessant anxiety, and, sooner or later, with the use of such the angler is certain to be done out of half a day^s fishing. We have three such rods as described above, and although they have had nothing beyond ordinary con- sideration shown them, are as sound as on the day FLY-FISHING TACKLE. 43 they were made, while we should be sorry to say how many rods of other patterns we have seen part com- pany while casting a line or playing a fish. These rods have upon many occasions been pressed to uproot a turnip growing in the field behind, or a tree or bush by the waterside, but have merely expressed their inability to perform such feats by a polite refusal, whereas they might have resented the imposition of such tasks in a much more unpleasant manner; for this we respect them. Hair Casts are used in some parts of the country, but the use of them is dying out, and good hair is difficult to get. The great advantage claimed for them is that they do not show so much in the water as gut, and fall lightly. They are very elastic and cast remarkably straight, but the great objection we have to them is that they arc so inclined to float on the surface. Knot attaching Cast to Fly. There are several ways of knotting the cast to the fly, but we prefer that given in the drawing, as by no possibility can the gut draw out, consequently the angler has only breakage to fear. When we have been obliged to use a reel too light for the rod, a few ounces of sheet lead wound round the butt below tlie reel have been of great assistance. [ 44 ] CHAPTER VII. WABINa. The angler should only wade when he cannot com- mand the catch by casting from the bank, as his presence in the water tends to scare the fish lying towards his bank ; but when, by so doing, the catch is better commanded and the fly presented more per- fectly to the fish, he should not hesitate to take the water. The requirements are a pair of waterproof stockings or trousers, whichever the depth of the water may require, a pair of coarse woollen socks over them for protection against grit, and lastly a pair of boots, or brogues as they are commonly called, of stout make, with soles well studded with large flat nails to enable him to keep a firm footing upon rocks, &c. It is convenient to have wading-trousers sufficiently wide at the top to take in the coat without packing, as should the angler by accident lose his footing and get carried out of his depth they will soon fill and enable him to use his legs, whereas should they fit tightly, under the same circumstances the air they contain WADINO. 45 cannot readily escape, and consequently his legs float to the surface. It frequently happens that a catch can be reached by casting from the bank, yet the intervening current sweeps the line away and the fish has a short period in which to notice the fly, then wading is a great assis- tance; also the gain of a few yards may enable the angler to reach, although imperfectly, a rising fish, and 80 give him a chance of attracting the fish during the initial stages of the fly's semi-circuit, when he may follow it round and eventually take it. We must confess to having no great faith in casting an extraordinary length of line, as, even should the fish take, the strike is so late that the majority merely get pricked ; yet fish are occasionally lured in this manner, as may be readily observed from such points of vantage as Galway Bridge. There is one golden maxim to be observed in wading, i.e. never cross your legs; and if it be studiously adhered to, many a ducking will be avoided. Wading down stream as it were on the top of your fish is strictly to be avoided, as the disturbance made by the legs in the stream and the " foil " (gravel or any other matter) displaced by the feet scare fish so much that they will not look at the bait. We know pools where in order to fish from a particular side the natural surroundings necessitate wading, the stream so running that it travels from one's feet to where the fish lie, and although we have 46 BY HOOK AND BY CBOOK. fished them many a time, we could never get a rise; whereas, when wading from the other bank, within a short space of time success has resulted, and we could only attribute the difference to aforesaid reasons. From our own observation an unnatural disturbance of the water tends greatly to scare fish; and as an example — at a certain " caul '* or weir, at which we spend many a Sunday afternoon, the fish lie close in shore, resting in a small back wash of boiling water, and will remain there heedless of man's presence ; but if he dip his hands into the eddy, away they go down the fall which they have had much labour to sur- mount. When the angler possesses thorough knowledge of the water, he can don his waders and flop into the water at one point and then another ; but should he not have this knowledge, or when the water is very high, he had better previously take a few casts from the bank, in order to give a chance to any fish that may lie close in shore — they occasionally lie in curious places. An angler's success depends in a great measure upon his knowledge of the conformation of the river's bed, and if it be possible he had better study it at summer level; then when the pool is in fishing trim it will be to him as an open page, although its peculiarities are invisible. Should the bed of a pool be composed of gravel the lie of the fish is apparent to a stranger ; but where resting-places are formed by large rocks or WADINO. 4i7 edges of rocks over which the stream smoothly glides, it is another matter. In the neck of a pool, should there be large stones at the bottom, fish will lie behind them right in the centre of the stream ; but when the bottom is of gravel they will generally lie a little to either side of the centre, usually showing a partiality for one side ; and the fly when practicable should be cast over a fish from the bank nearer him, as then, if made to fall into the centre of the current, the rod at the completion of the cast being maintained at right angles across the stream, it completes its course over the lie of the fish, apparently escaping from the rough water. It is nigh useless to attempt a presentation of the fly to fish lying beyond the centre of the stream, as immediately the fly falls it is swept away before any fish can see it. It may be argued that by this method of casting the off chance is gained of attracting a fish from beyond the current, while the ultimate presentation to those lying on the angler's side is not prejudiced; but it must be borne in mind that in this manner a longer line is required to produce the same result, which is a decided objection. In considering the correct method to present the fly, the direction from which floating matters ap- proach fish should be remarked, so that the hook may be made to approach in a regular orthodox manner the fish, who by habit is on the watch for 48 BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. articles coming down and sees nothing extraordinary in its progress, whereas he is apt to regard any varia- tion with suspicion, if he should notice it at all. Therefore when fish lie on either side of a current and the angler can fish from both banks, by all means let him do so ; but if he have not this advantage, he may as well be content to fish the side of the stream nearer his own bank and save much time. Lower down the pool where the current is more widely distributed it is another matter ; there no harm is done by covering as much water as a fair cast permits ; but perhaps the better plan is to make two beats of it — the first with a fairly short line, and the second with an extra long cast. This method takes time, and by some anglers may be considered tedious, but he who adopts it only uses a long line when abso- lutely necessary. When the wading only extends a few yards from the bank one is apt to shirk it, thinking, " What is the use of wading when one can make the cast as well from the bank, and if necessary drop the fly to a consider- able distance beyond ? " But this frequently is not the point, as, may be, a ledge of rock or some other harbour secretes fish over whose heads the fly, when cast from the bank, too quickly passes out of sight, whereas if cast from a point farther out would hang over them towards the completion of its course. When lately fishing with a friend an instance of this occurred : we had taken particular pains in WADINQ. ■ 49 giving a hint here and there, the main point being the advisability of fishing the pool in twice, as above described. He adopted this method without result, and a quarter of an hour later we went in. Naturally it was useless to cast inside the line where he had waded, so we started with the out fishing. "Why don't you fish close in first of all?'' he shouted, with just a suspicion in his tone of ''practice what you preach." The reason was explained, and the incident passed off. Curiously enough the very next day we were fishing a pool and commenced casting with a very short line from the bank, and hooked a fish almost immediately which turned the scale at 17 lb. He had been lying in an eddy formed by an anchored tree-stump, and had we waded in to commence with we should have scared him away as sure as fate. Later in the day we were standing back on the bank with the rod projecting scarcely six feet beyond, and hooked a large fish on a very short line, which after three-quarters of an hour's hard work broke the gut cast, or rather one of the knots drew out. The fish made several rushes, then sulked for some time, when by the continued heavy strain the knot of a badly mended cast drew out and we parted company. When wading a strange stream or one in which the angler may have to retrace his steps so as to regain the bank, it is as well now and again to try the strength of the current in order to secure retreat, as it is far from E 50 Br HOOK AND BY CROOK. pleasant to suddenly discover that the depth bars further progress, while the force of the current pro- hibits a safe return. When wading a sharp stream running over a fine gravel bottom, the angler should take care that liis foothold be not swept away, and it is wise not to present a broadside to the stream. [ 51 ] CHAPTER VIII. CASTINQ AND WOBKINO OF FLY. The art of casting the line in fly-fishing is with a little practice soon attained, but the little turns of the wrist and forearm which, under various circumstances, are brought into requisition by the accomplished angler are only acquired after considerable experience in handling the rod. The would-be fly-fisher to commence with had best carefully watch an adept, noting the course of the rod and line and the moments when the former is asked to exert itself to lift the line from the water and again return it. Then he may take up the rod and attempt to imitate what he has seen, asking his mentor now and again to put his baud over his own grasping the rod, and so make a cast or two which will convey to him the correct method. There may be said to be three methods of casting — the ordinary or overhead cast, the underhand cast in which the rod is moved horizontally instead of as in the former perpendicularly, and the '' Switch " or Spey cast. £2 5.2 BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. The overhead cast is made by gently bringing the fly to the surface of the water, then drawing it and the line upwards and backwards with sufficient force to poise the entire length in air behind the back of the ■angler, as near as possible in a straight line, to whose hand the precise moment of this occurrence is notified by the increased weight on the top of the rod, which then should be impelled with increasing force until it has attained little if anything beyond the perpendicular, then its further progress should be checked. One mistake generally made by beginners is to drag the line out of the water before previously having raised it to the surface with unbent rod, the consequence being that having severely taxed the capabilities of the rod in bringing the line to the surface, there is no power remaining to lift it from the water; thus the line never gets fairly extended behind, so that the angler in his anxiety to save it touching the ground, makes the forward cast on the slack line, which naturally is merely a jerk instead of a steady impulse, the result being that the line falls in coils, if nothing worse, a few feet beyond his nose. When the knack of raising the line has been acquired, care should be taken to give it plenty of time behind; the angler can turn his head and view his line in air and then have leisure to make the forward cast. The Spey cast is more difficult to learn and to describe ; it is made by drawing the line smartly to CASTING AND WORKING OF FLY. 53 one, so that the fly comes scudding along the surface of the water to within a few yards of the hody, the line forming a huge bag in the air, no portion being much behind ; the rod should then be impelled forward with considerable force, causing the fly to shoot out to the desired spot. This cast is difficult of attainment, but in reality requires little exertion, most of the work being done by the reaction of the rod; in positions where trees or rocks are immediately at the angler's back its use is indis- pensable, and its achievement gives great satisfaction. The fly should naturally alight on the water in the accustomed manner of the insect it is intended to represent ; so the small winged flies should fall lightly, while imitations of grubs or caterpillars, especially in chub-fishing, should make a good flop. In salmon-fishing lightness of descent is of little moment ; at the same time there is probably nothing to be gained by unnecessary splash. What salmon mistake the artificial fly to be is open to argument. He cannot take it to be an inhabitant of the air or fresh water, as it resembles nothing therein contained save its artificial kindred, of which by-the-by in many rivers there is an abundance ; and as whatever acquaintance he may have made Avith them would scarcely have been of such a nature as would have instilled confidence, he probably associates it with some objects which during his visits to the coasts and estuaries have left pleasant recollections. 54 £T moos: and bt crook. The result of good casting is that the fly is placed at the required spot on the water with the least possible loose or slack line, so that it is actually fishing at the moment of immersion ; and when this is effected it almost appears to the spectator as if the fly were laid down by the hand, with such nicety is the cast accom- plished. It is no uncommon thing to see an angler severely handicap himself by easting an unnecessarily long line ; this is especially the delight of novices, who are perfectly happy if they see 25 yards or so of line fall in any fashion upon the surface, and expect to find a look of admiration on the countenance of any passer by ; but should that passer by be aware that the catch is under the point of the angler's rod, his smile may be misconstrued. To command a catch it is, however, often necessary to cast a long line, then well and good ; or it may be that by casting a few extra yards of line the angler can fish obliquely, say at an angle of 45°, whereas with a shorter line he would be compelled to cast straighter across the stream. Then the ability to make a long cast is a distinct advantage, as if the line be cast straight across, its centre is bagged by the stream, and in reality the fly is towed down head first for the greater portion of its journey, whereas the line and fly should be both swept away from the angler, with little or no straightening. Young anglers are frequently instructed to cast CASTING AND WORKING OF FIT. 55 " well across the stream/' but it is extremely doubtful, for above reasons, if there is anything to be gained by casting at a greater angle than 45^, unless it be to reach a catch which cannot otherwise be commanded. When casting over a rising fish, the angler above all things should endeavour to effect a perfect cast at the first attempt, as should he commence with an indif- ferent one, he gets the worst of the deal, and has only himself to thank for having thrown away a likely winning card. The adept, during a few casts in the air, will be able to release from the reel a suflficient length of line without touching the water, and, at the same time, accurately gauge the distance ; but the angler who has not attained such proficiency had better make, as it were, a trial cast on the water beyond the notice of the fish, for although this, for obvious reasons, is not de- sirable in dry-fly fishing, yet it is preferable to making a bad initial cast. It is not much use to put in a real good cast after a couple of bad ones. The angler in his eagerness frequently exhibits a tendency to present his fly to a rising fish too soon after the latter has captured a natural insect; but he should remember that after the capture of a mouthful, a fish requires time to swallow the morsel and settle himself down for the next, so it is well to give him time, and if possible to keep him waiting a while so that his appetite may be whetted ; at the same time a watchful eye must be kept on the stream for some 56 BY HOOK AND BY CBOOK. distance above, so that the artificial fly may not be cut out by natural insects floating down. Should a fish take the fly during the line's straight- ening process, it being practically slack, the angler is not at once apprised of the fact, so loses time in striking, and the fish cannot strike himself, but may possibly find out his error and have time to reject the fly. How often may the remark be heard, " I touched one, but he did not get hold of it ; " surely the bagged line has something to answer for ! Fish very quickly spit out any foreign substance, as may be ascertained by dropping a few gutless and barbless flies from a bridge into a stream below, and it is surprising to what a distance they can expel the object through the water. The movement imparted to the fly in the water by the rise and fall of the rod's point must be left to taste, yet on any particular river a certain pace and extent of motion seem to be adopted by general consent ; but at whatever pace the line may be drawn up, it should not be released at a greater one than that at which the water flows ; the wings then shut up close and loosen again, while there being no slack line the fly maintains its even position in the water, so should a fish attempt to take it, he is not disappointed. The motion, hoM- ever, may occasionally be varied. The fly should be allowed to remain in the water utitil it arrives at least in a line straight down stream CASTING AND WOEKING OF FLY. 57 with the point of the rod ; and, lastly, the angler should remember that the fly hooks more fish when it is in the water than when on the bank or in the air. In heavy waters, or as a change to the fly, a minnow is worth trying. We prefer a plain white metal body with no slits at the sides and simply two triangles at the tail. They can be cast to a considerable distance with the fly-rod, if instead of being brought straight back over the shoulder they are swung round in a semi- circle, which keeps them on the go during their passage through air, and at the same time does not impose so severe a task upon the rod. Casting in this manner is not particularly easy, but with practice a long line can be thrown without strain- ing the rod. This method will be found to serve in open pools, but when 30 or 40 yards has to be covered, or when the casting is surrounded by trees, the best plan is to use a spinning rod with a Nottingham reel {vide page 35). [ 58 ] CHAPTER IX. TEOUT-FISHING IN THE " NORTH COUNTRIE." North Country fly-fishers have many more facilities for indulgence in their favourite sport than dwellers in the Souths where salmon and trout rivers are com- paratively few and far between, and in consequence command a price which places them beyond the means of many; M-hereas in the Northern Counties almost every river, streamlet, or burn may be said to contain some one or more of the Salmo species, which may be rented by individuals or, as is often the case, by clubs at a moderate figure. For this reason the younger branch of sportsmen in the North, as a rule, are more familiar with the rod than their confreres of the South, as, even if resident in towns or cities, there usually is a river within easy distance on which fishing is obtainable either by rent, leave, or by putting up at an inn which provides visitors with a stretch of water. Trout-fishing on the Borders commences about the 1st of March, but not until the end of that month do the fish get into fair condition, and they do not PI.:, MARCH BROWN. DARK BLEA. CREEPER ( iucl out rfcn^e J . STONE FLY. MIHTERN BROS LITI- TROUT-FISSINQ IN THE " XOnTR COUNTBIE." 59 arrive at their best until the beginning or middle of May. To fish the large rivers such as Eden, Tyne, and Esk, wading- trousers are necessary; for their tributaries and the smaller rivers stockings will suffice, as many of them are wide, although not running to any great depth. A rod of 11 or 12 ft. will do all the work with a selection of the ordinary flies, such as — March brown (male and female), light and dark blea or bloa, stone- fly, partridge hackle, olive dun, iron-blue dun, ginger hackle, GreenwelFs glory, and yellow dun. We have found the female March brown a better killer than the male, and prefer hen pheasant to wood- cock for the wings. The Eden is a very fine river, probably far and away the best in the North of England for trout-fishing, both as regards quantity and size of fish, whose colouring is very rich, varying with the nature of the river's bed ; speaking generally, the Eden trout is a very handsome example of his species. The Eden is a well wooded river, with bed alternately of rock and gravel, forming deep pools, capable of holding trout even in the lowest summer water, so excepting in the very highest reaches a flood is the only condition which will interfere with sport. The flats grow abundance of weeds, which, with the vegetation growing along the banks, afibrd capital nurseries for the feed. 60 BY SOOK AND BY CSOOK. As upon every river, so the angler may have a bad day upon Eden, but it is seldom that he should return to his quarters with less than three or four brace, while on an average to a good day he may expect to basket from eight to twelve brace, and often more. The average weight about ten miles from Carlisle would be about \ lb. a piece, perhaps rather more ; while on a fair day the creel should contain fish of f lb. to 1 lb., and over, possibly up to 3 lb. Upon the rise of fly, as on most rivers, mainly depends the size of the bag, but it seldom fails to put in an appearance during some hour of the day ; before and after this occurs the angler must be content to fish ^' blind ^' the streams and eddies, and will probably pick up a fish here and there ; but in the spring, between the hours of eleven and two, the feed will generally appear, and then the real fun takes place. At about the time the rise may be expected, the angler had best arrange to be handy at some good long stream, so that he may commence operations so soon as the fly appears, and make hay while the sun shines, as there is no knowing how soon it may cease. When the feed comes sailing down the necks of the streams, the fish appear to draw up from the flats or deep pools below, and make the water fairly boil where a few minutes before not a fish was to be seen ; now, if the angler is up to his work he will grass several brace of fish in a very short space of time and water, until, as suddenly as it commenced, the rise ceases, the fish, so HEAD OF SMOLT. PI . II. rEBN BROSl-lTh- TSOUT-FISaiNa IN THE '' NORTU COUNTRIE." 61 soon as they have cleared the decks, retiring whence they came. S molts are a great nuisance, causing waste of precious time when the rise is on, as when hooked they must be released tenderly ; but as they generally lie well off the edge of the stream, they may be avoided to a great extent by lifting the line before the flies reach the stiller water. Fishing with the bustard or artificial moth is indulged in from twilight until midnight during the summer months, but chiefly by those to whom the bag is of pecuniary importance. The Tynes and their tributaries run down very quickly after a flood, and in this respect compare unfavourably with the Eden ; indeed in the upper reaches, unless the angler arrives in the nick of time, he can expect to land but small fish, so the telegraph wire comes in handy. The bed of the Tynes consists in most parts chiefly of large cobbles, and at low water in the highland districts there are few deep tracts where large trout can exist in privacy ; it is also very doubtful if there is an overabundance of feed, so it is possible that these conditions may account for the fact that the fish run rather small : we cannot from experience put the average weight at above from four to three to the pound, although we may have been unfortunate. Some of the rocky burns running into the North Tyne have yielded a much better average weight of 62 SY HOOK AND BY CROOIl. fish than the river itself, but they were in much worse condition and very dark in colour, abstracted from the peaty water they inhabited. Nevertheless, a few days' fishing in these burns and streams, running several hundred feet above the sea- level through wild moorland scenery, are most enjoy- able, aiFording a thorough change to him who has been angling on a lowland river, the surrounding vegetation and bird-life being so entirely different. The robins, chaffinches, wrens, and bullfinches have all disappeared, and in place of them the angler has as his companions the blackcock, curlew, and grouse, whose '^ker-back-ker-back-back-bacque-back," as he folds his wings whilst alighting on the heather-clad fell, falls refreshingly upon the ear. The solitary angler can best enjoy the moorland, as then no human voice detracts from the awful impression conveyed to the mind by the solemn silence of nature's handiwork, which seems proper to be broken only by the utterances of the creatures she ordains to exist thereon. The efi'usive screech with which the peewit endeavours to lure the intruder from the vicinity of his nest, the warning note of the cock grouse to the hen, the peculiar spring whistle of the golden plover while high aloft in air, and the weird pipe of the curlew, all seem in perfect harmony with the light and shade of the moorland hills ; but with the voice of man the spell is broken. TSOUT-FISSING IS THE " NOETH COUNTEIE." 63 One little bird seems never to forsake the angler, whether in high or lowland district; the matter of altitude makes little difference to him, who deservedly has earned the title of ''the fisherman's companion/' So long as there be water and stones upon which he may rest at intervals between his diving operations in quest of food, the little water-ouzel is satisfied. Dropping south over the fells which give the Eden its rise, the burns which form the Ribble-head come into view, pursuing their course over rocky boulders and gravel-beds until they afford attractions for the king of fish. This river is noted as a trout-stream, and, like the Tynes, quickly rises and falls, the average size of the fish being about the same or perhaps, if any- thing, less. The country is charming, and although these rivers, which are thick in the morning and bright at midday, are somewhat trying, yet he must be difficult to please who cannot enjoy a few days while casting his fly, wandering along as it were through the centre of the moors, although perhaps the uppermost reaches afford better sport to the gunner than to the angler. The riparian proprietors of the upper Ribble should be grateful to the members of the angling club at Horton, who, with the facilities afforded them by gentlemen lining there, hatch and turn out many thousands of trout annually into the river. As a rule, in the North Country trout-streams there is no limit as to the size of the fish which may be 64 BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. retained, and, in consequence, thousands of little tilings scarce four inches long are taken. So long as there is no rule, many anglers will take all they catch, which is a great mistake and should be stopped, to increase the average size of the fish, although rivers which are up one day and down the next will probably never con- tain very large fish, especially when, as is frequently the case, the supply of feed is not over-abundant. It is often worth while to try a cast or two where the surface is covered by shifting patches of foam or froth, circling in eddies beside the main stream, for occasionally trout may be found feeding on drowned flies mixed up in it, while the cover conceals their actions. The Fisherman's Companion. [ 65 ] CHAPTER X. KEEJP TOUS FLY ON" THE WATEE. This is an old piece of advice, but for all that none the less good, as all anglers will admit. ''I have not sufficient patience for fishing," is a statement frequently made ; but for the life of us we cannot see that more patience is required in angling than in any other sport. The word " patience " does not exist in the dictionary of the sportsman ; he knows it not ; and the intervals during which his efforts are not crowned with success are not tedious, nor do they discourage him or make him a bit the less keen — on the contrary, they stimulate him to the exercise of greater care and attention. At one time or another every angler will have experienced a really big day when it has been as easy to basket fish as to take sardines out of a tin, but he will with far more satisfaction recall the day when he has against adverse circumstances landed a few fish by sheer dint of perseverance and skill. Trout- and salmon-fishing in large rivers differ much in one respect, inasmuch as the salmon-fisher, who knows 66 BY HOOK AND BY CBOOZ. anything about the river, can put his hand, as it were, upon the exact spot where the fish lie, although they may not be showing, so, after having cast over all the catches, even should there be no result, he may be pretty sure that every fish has had a chance ; but in trout-fishing, except when feeding on the surface, the fish are scattered over the river, so the angler has to be content with fishing "blind,''^ which is unsatisfactory work at the best. A resident of the waterside, who has daily oppor- tunities, can afford to pick out the best hours during the day, and otherwise occupy himself during the intervals, and very probably will do as much execution as if he had been fishing all day ; but this method will not suit the keen angler who only has a day or two now and again at his disposal, so he had better fish the streams until the fly makes its appearance. In clear chalk streams it is rather a different matter, as the fish can often be seen, and the angler can try his hand over each individual fish, which, to our thinking, is far more interesting than fishing " blind " ; but rivers must be taken as they are, and the angler has to make the most of them. For this reason it is absurd to generally condemn the practice of fishing with worm for trout, as during the summer months on many rivers, especially in the north, it is the only method by which fish can be obtained. It is also a mistake to imagine that worm-fishing for trout in fine waters is easy work : such is far from being the case. KEEP TOUB FLY ON THE WATEB. 67 as it requires a very light hand to cast the bait up stream and a quick wrist to strike. The bait is allowed to float down towards the feet of the angler wading in midstream; but at the same time there must be no slack line, or little will result beyond the loss of the worm. This style of angling is quite as difficult as fly- fishing, perhaps more so, and men who are adepts at it have no mean reputation around the country-side, even when time has long since obliged them to relin- quish the rod and creel. To return to the maxim at the head of these notes — salmon-fishers should always persevere, as there is no knowing when a fish may take ; so the half-hearted angler who hangs about the banks, blaming the river, the day, and everything but himself, does not get half a chance. When the extent of the water has been fished over without result, some will give it up and wait until, as they express it, " they begin to move.'' Now, as long as the fly is in the water, there is always a chance of hooking a fish, therefore it is as well to stick to it and continue casting the pools down in their order, as it is impossible to tell when salmon may commence to take, or a change of fly may do the trick. Some anglers are wont to gauge the probabilities of sport by the number of fish showing themselves, but we are of opinion that the taking fish as often as not does not show himself; at the back end of the season f2 68 £T nOOE AND BY CEOOK. especially^ tlie fisli which are continually jumping are generally those who have been some weeks in the river. It has several times been our lot to kill a fish in the evening which we have seen rise only once in the early morning, after which he has never moved ; and for this reason the angler should be early astir, as although he may not hook a fish during the first few hours, he may have opportunities for marking down some, which will come in very useful during the day. Fish generally stir soon after daybreak, and even if they have not since moved all day, will generally drift about again an hour or so before evening, so it is as well to give them a chance during these periods, especially in late spring and early in autumn when the days are warm ; but we cannot own to having had much success in very early fishing in cold weather during early spring, and to fish before the mist has rolled off the water is simply useless. An angler can wish for no better compliment to be paid him than to be called a " regular sticker,'^ and anyone who acts upon this principle is certain to kill fish when perhaps he least expects to do so : an instance occurred once which we shall never forget. During the day a fish had risen once or twice in slowly running water, and had ignored the various flies which we had cast over his head. It was getting dark, and we were just about to give over for the day, having in mind a long walk home through a thick plantation and felled trees strewn across the path, partly hidden KEEP YOUR FLY ON THE WATER. 69 by long white grass, when we decided to give the pool one last cast down from the boat as usual, putting on a bright fly, with which we had been casting most of the day, it being a favourite pattern. Our attendant on the thwart, who was a uever-say- die sort as a rule, did not much encourage us with the remark, " We 're defeated to-day " j nevertheless we both rowed and fished the pool more carefully down than ever, until we had only a few yards remaining, and were drawing the line up for the last time and saying, " Yes, we 're defeated/' when the welcome tug told us that we had spoken perhaps too soon ; and such proved to be the case, as, after about half an hour's hard and quick work, 26 lb. weight of fresh-run salmon was on the bank. By this time it was quite dark and the walk home was no treat, but still we congratulated ourselves upon not having "chucked it" sooner. The really keen angler will persevere in spite of non- success, but he who is not an enthusiast cannot under- stand the pleasure of good casting per se ; he has no interest in the proceedings until he finds a fish on his hook, when very probably he then is, so to say, all over the shop ; whereas the sportsman sits tight, keeps his head, and scarcely takes his eye off the fish. It is a great nuisance to have a friend angling with one who when fish are not taking is continually saying, " Come on, let's chuck it, it's not a bit of good to-day." Nothing is more trying, especially when one is doing 70 BY MOOK AND BY CROOK. one's very best and hoping against hope ; and the best plan is to send him home, as, apart from the annoyance occasioned by his, or it may even be her, company, one's attention is continually being distracted, and a fish may be missed, a disappointment we have before now experienced. Again, some anglers will waste a deal of their time in walking backwards and forwards between pools, being apparently of opinion that the one they are fishing at any particular moment affords less chance of sport than some other, the result being that none are properly fished ; and we have known valuable hours wasted in walking to a pool miles away, when the probability of sport was quite as great in others close at hand : these vagaries are sound enough from a tourist point of view, but they will not commend themselves to the angler who likes to keep his fly in the water. When after a flood the water is still very big, but yet of such a colour that it be possible for fish to see the fly, the angler may prefer to go out on the off- chance ; but he should remember that when the water is big enough for fish to run in, they will not frequent the usual spots, but lie in towards the banks out of the stream, which is as yet too strong for them; so even if the height of the water would allow, he had much better give up all idea of wading and cast from the bank. Under such conditions he should drop his fly on the edge of the stream, and allow it to work round as near KEEP TOTTB FLT ON THE WATES. 71 as possible to his own bank ; by so doing he will accomplish three objects, viz. : be casting over the probable lie of any resting fish; making it cross the track of running fish, who invariably run up the slack water close in shore; and, lastly, he will be casting, generally speaking, in the thinner water, where his fly is more easily seen. As the water falls in, fish gradually cease running, and abandon their temporary resting- places in thinnish water, until at length they settle down in the recognized catches of the various pools. [ n ] CHAPTER XL PLATING A HSR. This is no unimportant branch of the angler^s art, and a deal of practice is requisite before he learns to play his fish with confidence and absence of bustle and flurry, knowing the exact moments when to give way to a fish or hold him hard. Nothing but experience can prompt the forethought which avoids the occurrence of awkward or fatal situa- tions, and these will happen sometimes, even when the greatest care is exercised ; however, the accomplished angler will generally avoid them, or at all events find the ready means of extrication. An observer can get a fair insight to a man's temperament while watching him playing a good-sized salmon, and pretty accurately gauge his capabilities as a fisherman ; for independently of the occasion calling for considerable activity, strength, and at times endur- ance, he should command self-possession, decision, and resource, be quick to follow the movements of the fish, and have a good memory for the peculiarities of the natural surroundings of the waterside. PLATING A FISH. 73 Youthful anglers, or they of excitable temperament, upon hooking a fish are apt to lose their heads from anxiety to see him safe on the bank, and by this feverish excitement frequently jeopardize their chance of ultimate success. The man who has to use the gaflP for this description of angler has often a roughish time of it, and will probably be told that he has lost several opportunities of gaffing, and that the angler himself could have administered the stroke over and over again ; while after these expressions, should perchance the fish get oflpj woe betide the attendant, as the entire blame is sure to lie with him. Taking it altogether, gaffing a fish for any other than a good fisherman, who can keep cool, is a task to be avoided; yet has frequently to be accepted, as no sportsman would refuse such assistance to a brother angler. In contrast to the excitable angler is he who thinks he can safely hold conversation with others during the hottest part of the fight; but he will soon learn a lesson which will break him of the habit, and teach him for the future to watch his fish all he knows. It is a very pretty sight to watch a fish nicely handled for twenty minutes or more, and the young angler cannot do better than avail himself of any such opportunities, and so learn how to manage a fish with confidence and self-command. Elsewhere than on the river-bank, the remark may 74 BT KOOZ AND BY CBOOK. frequently be heard, " I never take longer than (so many) minutes to kill a fish'"; but our experience is that in practice these gentlemen take a good deal longer than most people; but there can be no object in pulling fish out by the roots, and with single gut it is simply absurd. On the other hand there is nothing to be gained, on the contrary there may be a good deal to lose, by allowing a fish to take liberties, as he is never safe until on the bank, even then not always so. Nine cases out of ten the angler has to give line, or rather allow the fish to take it, during the early stages of the fight ; but he should always be made to work to take it ofi" the reel, then as the fish gets weaker the angler can put on increased pressure and so hasten the end. The main thing is to hold the point of the rod well up, so that the weight of the fish and any sudden jerks he may give shall fall on it and not on the line. Instances occur now and again when it is impossible, with any regard to safety, to give line, and on the other hand it is at times imperative to give it ; of course then the angler can only make the best of a bad job. After a few minutes' play the experienced angler can form a shrewd guess how the fish is hooked, and will shape his tactics accordingly ; but in the absence of any such indication, in fact as a general rule, our experience is that the best plan to adopt after having hooked a fish, is to hold him only fairly hard and allow him to take the initiative. PLATINa A FISH. 75 There is generally not mucli wait about it, as the fish probably makes a rush so soon as he feels himself under control ; if so, so much the better, as the more he runs the quicker he will tire, and as increased pressure is brought to bear he soon gives way to the inevitable. After hooking a fish, unless obstacles such as trees exist, it is advisable to gain the bank as quickly as possible, the fish being better commanded therefrom ; and during this manoeuvre the hold on the fish should be light, so as not to incite him to immediate exer- tion ; when the bank is once gained the angler can proceed with usual discretion. Fish after their first run will often return to the holding from which they were first lured — may be, thinking there is no place like home, or perhaps the line which is naturally slack at the end of the run gives them the idea that they are free once more ; so if, as is often the case, their chosen resting-place be at the back of some large stone or ledge of rock it is advisable to thwart them in their designs if possible, to avoid a cut line. Should a fish persevere in a long run where he cannot be followed there are two courses open — either to make it a case of pull-devil-pull-baker and chance to luck, or while there is still a fair amount of line on the reel to pull it off" as fast as possible with the hand, thereby creating a slack line, and giving the fish the impression that he is free, when he is as likely as not to head up stream again, then the bagging line pulls 76 BY HOOK ANB BY CROOK. him from behind and influences him to still make up, meanwhile the angler follows him, winding up the slack, and the fight continues. We recall an instance of a large fish having by this ruse been twice enticed up stream, but it was of no avail, as he refused to be deceived by a third application, and broke away with cast, reel-line, and fly; but, on the other hand, this method has several times given us a fish. We once witnessed an instance in which a suddenly slacked line induced a fish to head up stream, although in this case it was the result of an accident, and happened as follows : — A little lad was fishing for salmon near by, with a rotten old rod and tackle baited with a large worm, which he had dropped into the head of a pool, which he, with the occupants of the farm, had permission to fish. We happened to turn round while casting below him and perceived he had a fish on, apparently of good size, so hastened to his assistance and with a hint now and again he managed to play the fish fairly well for about half an hour, the state of the tackle requiring much care. Without any warning the fish then made a rush down stream, the rusty old reel screeched again as it spun round, the line ran out its entire length, then broke off at the reel and fell out through the rings on the grassy bank, on which the lad was fortunately standing at some distance from the edge. PLATING A FISH. 77 While the lad was standing still, struck all of a heap by his misfortune, we ran down the bank and managed to put a foot on the end of the line just before it dis- appeared over the edge, and upon seizing it found that the fish had got off or had stopped his run, as there was no weight upon it. We fully expected to find that the fish had escaped ; however, on the off chance, we threaded the line through the rings, attached it to the reel, and wound it up, or rather the lad did. As the reel began to fill there was a perceptible draw on the line from a point a little up stream, and we soon found to the boy's delight that the fish was still on and lying in his old resting-place. After some little time the fish went down again, and we had great difficulty in passing the rod from one to another behind several tall trees which grew at the water-edge, the depth being too great to admit of wading by them; however, we together eventually managed to land him, a fresh-run fish of 24 lb. The lad afterwards told us that he had sold the fish for 36s., with which he had purchased new tackle, and we added a cast or two and a few flies upon the under- standing that he would in future eschew the lowly worm. When a fish persists in jagging at the line, a method he often adopts when but lightly hooked, the jar on the line and rod can be materially reduced by holding the rod in both hands, keeping it clear of the body ; this is also a good plan when the fish jumps or is likely to do so. 78 JBT ROOK AND BY CEOOK. After gaffing a fish, especially when the angler has to do it for himself, line should be at once pulled off the reel by the rod hand (the rod being supported over the wrist) so as to allow the top joint to straighten. The observance of this will save a top now and again, as the angler while walking with his fish on the gaff is apt to forget that the rod-top has not been released from strain. The line should, while playing a fish, be controlled in such a manner that at any moment it can be allowed to run free, and consequently should not be passed round or in and out of fingers, as anyone will find out to his cost should a fish run when the line is thus impeded ; and no slack line should be allowed between the lowest ring and the reel, or it is certain to get caught in something. At the finish of a run, immediately reel the line up and follow the fish until opposite him, keeping him, if possible, in good running water, thus making him work to maintain his position against the stream and the rod ; whereas, should the angler take up his position much in advance of the fish, he will supply the requisite power to keep the latter in position against the stream. "When a fish persistently remains motionless at the bottom, or, as it is called, " sulks,^' the best plan is to reel up close right over him, and if that does not shift him, throw in a few stones behind the line, which probably will have the desired effect. Should the fish stay some distance out from the FLATINO A FISH. 7 9 bank, the angler can get behind him and pull him down stream, as he will not so very long be able to withstand the combined efforts of the rod and stream. It is not uncommon to hear the remarks, '^I rose" so many fish, and "I always drown my fish''; but we must confess to being very bad at rising fish, as nineteen out of every twenty salmon we have ever caught have annexed the fly under water, making no break upon the surface ; and as far as drowning fish is concerned, they have been perhaps nearer drowning us than we them upon many occasions. Of course, when a fish is dead-beat he can easily be pulled down stream, but virtually he has to be killed first ; at all events, we have as yet failed to come across the fish who has quietly submitted to the drowning process; but we have not perhaps given it sufficient trial, preferring to keep the hook if we can in one position in the fish's jaw. We look with a certain amount of suspicion upon the habitual " riser " and ^' drowner,'' and if obliged to find them should draw no further than smoking- rooms. [ 80 ] CHAPTER XII. ILIES : NATUBAZ AND AETIFICIAZ. This item of tackle is generally considered of primary importance, and perhaps rightly so, inasmuch as the angler's first object is to lure his fish; and as each individual's ideas as to the best killing fancy flies or dressings of imitations have probably been formed by success, he has a certain amount of method in his madness. The majority of the patterns of artificial flies used in trout-fishing being imitations of the natural insect, the dresser's task is clearly defined, so beyond the me- chanical process he is, as compared to the designer of a pattern of salmon-fly, what the engraver is to the painter of a picture, and in both instances the close copy of the original is the gauge of merit. But in reproducing the natural fly in artificial form there is much room for discretion and ingenuity in the selection of materials, and it is in this respect, rather than in the actual fixing, that excellence is desirable. To describe as a work of art a well-dressed trout-fly is no exaggeration, and a vast amount of practice is FLIES : NATUBAL AND ABTIFICIAL. 81 requisite — more than any one person could hope to obtain by dressing flies for his individual use alone, unless he were possessed of an inordinate rapacity for annexing hedge-rows and such like; so it has come about that most of us purchase our trout-flies, and are extremely fortunate in being able to obtain such excel- lent imitations at comparatively small cost. The south-country trout-streams are, as a rule, smoother than those in the north and the fish more wary; consequently the flies dressed for use therewith are more delicately tied, especially those designed for dry-fly-fishing, which is seldom if ever practised in the north, though there is no reason why it should not be, as we have personally proved it to be equally eflPective. Flies of course can be, and for special purposes are, dressed fine in the north; but it will probably be argued that no better results are obtained, nor does dry- fly show any advantages over wet-fly-fishing, while the difierence in cost is greatly in favour of the angler. In dressing artificial patterns of the larger trout-flies, such as the Green and Grey Drake, the occasional dresser will experience less difficulty in the actual tying, but the imitation of body and wings will try his ingenuity. All kinds of materials are brought into requisition to imitate the wings of the May-fly ; and if they are all even fairly good imitations of the reality, it must be admitted that the varieties of the Drake are not few. The bodies are made of various materials selected for 82 BY HOOK ANB BY CBOOK. their floating qualities, and more or less answer their purpose ; but the wings are frequently represented by the feathers of the Mallard and Egyptian Goose, dyed to such a depth of yellow or green that not even the most jaundiced pseudo-imago or imago could detect in them the slightest resemblance to his own gauzy structures. The Egyptian Goose feather is a bad imitation, as, in the first place, the tint is wrong, and, secondly, it is too heavy and stiff in the fibre. The portion of feather used should be left intact, and not, as is often the case, have its edges cut or trimmed with scissors, as by such treatment it is de- prived of its natural fringe, which if allowed to remain assists the fly in sitting lightly on the water. The feathers of the ducks are best adapted for use in imitation of the May-fly's wing, and as long as those of the Summer Duck, also called Canadian Wood- Duck, are procurable, there is no necessity to resort to dyes, as the unbarred feathers of this bird are as nearly as possible of the correct shade, and are also of the right size and strength of fibre. A pattern of this fly is described elsewhere, and from experience we can confidently recommend it. The pattern is a very good floater, and as we have many a time seen a fish select it while the real article was just as handy, that is quite good enough for us. To dress a salmon-fly is easy work when once the correct method has been acquired, and, irrespective of FLIES : NATTIMAL JJTD ARTIFICIAZ. 83 the matter of expense, we should certainly recommend anglers to tie their own, as it is interesting Avork, very useful in out-of-the-way places, and gives additional zest in catching fish. If a man have the opportunity of collecting skins at home or abroad, or even should he, in the absence of such facility, have to purchase feathers at home, he can save much expense by dressing his own hooks; but, apart from this consideration, it is rather pretty work, and affords the ready means for working out individual ideas. It is a mistake to dress many flies at a time for one's own use, as they soon get dull and lose the freshness they have when first turned out ; a box is better than a book to keep them in, as the latter flattens them. It is well worth any angler's while to dress flies, especially for salmon-fishing, as one frequently may require a size or particular pattern other than those in stock, or may lose the last of a pattern in a fish and have no means of supplying the deficiency other than one's own hands ; but it was the following incident which determined us to learn to dress a hook : — At quite the commencement of our experiences of salmon-fishing, a friend with whom we were staying kindly offered the use of his book, but knowing how jealous anglers are of their patterns, many of which have killed fish and have histories attached to them, we preferred to purchase a few at a stationer's shop in the town, said to have been dressed by a small tackle-maker o2 84 BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. who had a den of his own close hy ; and very nice they looked stuck in rows on a thick sheet of cartridge paper, all good local killers. Well, we soon got to work, and after a few casts were fortunate in getting hold of a good fish, which, however, after about ten minutes' play, to our intense disgust parted company with us, the line coming back in that flowing wave that leaves no room for doubt. Upon reeling-up we discovered that the gut-loop at the head of the fly had drawn clean out and was still attached to the gut-line. That tackle-maker deserved never to be forgiven, as the loop instead of being long enough to extend to the bend of the hook, was little more than § of an inch in length. After this piece of bad luck we did not touch a fish for a week, and fully determined to dress our own hooks for the future, and have ever since done so, taking lessons in the first instance and practice during the remainder; so we derived some benefit from the loss of what would have been our first salmon. Anglers have, and we hope will continue to have, their own ideas as to the superiority of certain patterns in killing fish, and although perhaps, as the old saying goes, '^Anglers are less easy to please than the fish,'^ yet it cannot be denied that in certain rivers or lochs, or at particular times of the year, some patterns are to be preferred ; such being the case, we, in common with all anglers, have our particular views on the subject, and, without wishing to thrust them down anyone's throat. FLIES : NATURAL AND ABIIFICIAL. 85 will endeavour to explain them, or rather narrate the experiences which formed them. It happened that having attained a certain proficiency in fly-dressing, we determined to make a large number of flies of both standard and fancy patterns, so after a winter's work had amassed, such a quantity that we had to make an enormous book to hold them; and very enticing its pages looked adorned with various combi- nations of feather, silk, and tinsel, soon, alas ! to become tarnished by the dressing in the felt with which the pages were foolishly faced. This precious book contained over three hundred flies, arranged so that the wings of each specimen were undisturbed, and we can even now scarcely repress a smile as we record the work we put ourselves to in dragging it about from pool to pool throughout many a long day with the greatest perseverance. In the course of time all the patterns were granted opportunities of " distinguished service,^' with the result that of the entire number only about a dozen have been perpetuated, which we find when dressed in three sizes meet all requirements upon various rivers, and it will require a good deal of persuasion to induce us to increase the number. The older the angler the fewer patterns does he require. Anyone who has fished many rivers will have found that each has its favourite patterns and favourite dressings of patterns, and no doubt the flies locally adopted at the present time are the outcome of the 8G BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. experience of generations of anglers, and as such are worthy of much respect; but inasmuch as most rivers adopt patterns embracing more or less the same combina- tions of materials, we are inclined to think that the size of the hook is of more importance than the colour of the fly, and that the smooth or rough dressing of the body is a matter of as much consideration as either. A washy coloured or pale tinted fly we have never done any good with, so we presume they do not show up sufficiently in the water. The rich coloured flies do the most execution ; but in dressing fancy patterns the main point is to blend the colours of wings, hackles, and body so that the result may be one harmonious whole. Upon visiting a strange river with our usual patterns, we have generally been told that they were nice hooks, but of no particular value for that water, and have been advised to obtain local patterns ; however, having ascertained the correct size of fly to use, we have generally done as well as, perhaps better than, other rods, so we are inclined to think that the importance of the pattern of fly in salmon-fishing may be exaggerated. When fishing a strange river an angler of experience will soon select a fly of the right size and correct degree of brightness, in accordance with the state of the water and character of the natural surroundings. He may, of course, not hit upon the correct thing, and can then try a change; but it is well to remember that a fly with which one can do nothing in the early flies: natural and artificial. 87 part of the day, may by alteration of sky and weather be later on converted into a real good killer. A fish may be in a mood to take in the afternoon, whereas nothing would tempt him earlier; but at the same time it has frequently been our lot to hook a fish at some time of the day with a certain fly which pre- viously had no charm for him, so it is possible that the change of light may have assisted in the result ; at all events, if we had happened to have put on another fly we should in all probability have given the change credit for the catch, to the disadvantage of the original pattern. The theory upon which our system of dressing hooks is based is simple in the extreme, viz. : — To make a harmonious blend of colours to attract the attention of fish, and when the colour of the water itself or its surroundings above and below the surface tend to obscure the fly, then colours must be introduced and the size of the hook increased to counteract this efi"ect ; and, as a rule, we strive to introduce some one bright and attractive feature in each fly, forming as it were the high light of the picture. This result may be achieved either by colour or contrast in accordance with the character of the fly. The willow boxes lined with cork, as used by entomologists, will be found excellent re- ceptacles for flies, which can be stuck into the cork without waste of space and kept unruffled and un- flattened. We will next proceed with the method of dressing a hook, with a few practical hints which may be of use. [ 88 ] CHAPTER XIII. HOW TO DEESS A SALMON- ILT. The following implements will be found of assistance in dressing hooks : — A table-vice^ to be procured at any tool-makers for about 45. Messrs. Hotzapfel^ of Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, London, sell a more elaborate pattern, but they are costly. Two pairs of strong tweezers, made for the purpose, viz. to hold the whipping-silk secure during the process of dressing. A fine pointed pair of scissors. A few darning-needles. A cabinet with plenty of drawers is handy to keep the fly-dressing materials, the feathers previously being packed in separate papers or boxes with plenty of camphor. Strong card pill-boxes are good to keep tinsels from air and light. Silk for whipping is best kept in wash-leather, and can be procured at the tackle-makers on long reels Pl.lTI. SALMON FLY. A . Loop . B . HacuL . C . Shoulder' HcuJcle^. D . £v<'''^':?-' '.f^''-\^^ 1/ .-- ^ Salmon seized by Otter. [ 227 ] CHATTER XXIX. A TSETTT KETTLE OF FISH. We were in an exceedingly pleasant humour one spring morning, for the prospect of a week's leisure lay before us, likewise the choice of two opportunities to fish for salmon — one an invite to a friend^s house and river, the other an offer of a ticket giving the right over a good stretch of water in sight of a comfortable little Inn capable of supplying the requirements of an angler. The probabilities of sport at either river were about equal, and we were prepared to stand ourselves a httle treat ; yet we were on the horns of a dilemma — swayed on the one side by visions of the pleasant companion- ship of our host^s household, the good things he would have in store for us, and, last but not least, by the advantage of private water. On the other hand, the advantages of the freedom and independence of the Inn were somewhat discounted by the probability of having to compete with other rods, and take our turn at the pools. It was long before this knotty point was solved, until q2 228 BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. post-time entailed a determination, when, for once in a way, we selected the narrow path represented in this case by the ticket and Inn. With a lingering regret the refusal of our friend's kind oJBTer was dropped into the post-box, and we could but console ourselves that no particle of constraint would hinder operations — we could rise, turn in, and feed when we might wish. We arrived the next evening in time to get the tackle to rights for the following day, and ascertained that, since our last visit, a possibility of sale of portions of the water, which the ticket included, had suggested to some occupiers of land adjacent to the river to erect notice-boards at frequent intervals, warning off tres- passers in general and anglers in particular. Upon inquiry at headquarters we ascertained that the boundaries stated on the ticket still held good, and were instructed to ignore the notices of the tenants and others, who were said to be simply trying it on, actuated by a policy by which they could lose nothing and possibly gain ; so under the circumstances we did not anticipate serious interference, and after a pipe and glass with some of our old village friends in the kitchen of the Inn, we turned in at a useful hour. How keen is the angler to commence operations each successive spring ! With appetite whetted by enforced inactivity of the close season, he looks forward to the opening day with as much anxiety as the schoolboy does to the holidays while striking off from his calendar A PSETTT KETTLE OF FISH. 229 the remaining days of the term, and we dread the season which will find us less keen. The water was in fine order the following morning, so we made an early start, and after a sharp walk arrived at the first pool and were soon ready to commence hostilities, wading across to an island, the fishing from whose banks had previously been held to pertain to that bank of the main stream which each faced. But a change had come o'er the scene, for above the heads of the gorse bushes strange timbers stood erect, bearing on their faces in curt phrase the apparently unnecessary information that what gave them support was NOT ICE. Tempted by curiosity to closer inspection of these, we found that what we had taken to be a kindly warning was in reality but the heading of a strange legend, Avhich in precise terms threatened with severe penalties those who might disregard its ruling. We were fully determined to exercise the rights we had purchased, so ignored this interference and walked halfway up the island, where the catch commenced, and started casting. In a short space of time we had a fresh fish of 12 lb. on the bank, which was soon after joined by another of 16 lb. that gave a considerable amount of sport, so we were fairly in it, and then conveyed them to the mainland beyond the jurisdiction of any unfriendly native. There still remained unfished about thirty yards of 230 BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. the cast, so we retraced our steps to the foot of the island, and had waded down nearly to the end of the catch, when we became aware of a presence on the bank, and upon facing round were greeted with a cheery '^ good morning ! '^ followed by an inquiry as to what sport we had experienced. We replied '^ pretty fair," and continued casting, noting that the new comer stood about 6 ft. 3 in. in his boots, which, topped with leather leggings and corduroy breeches, gave him a particularly business-like appear- ance, and imbued us with the idea that it would be no pleasant job to take him on. A few yards behind him stood a stout cob with a lad on his back, which evidently had brought the visitors over the ford, for the cob was the only wet-footed one of the party. "Whatever might be the keeper's business, it seemed to hang fire a bit and evidently was against the grain, but after much hesitation out it came — " Sorry to disturb you. Sir ; but my orders are to warn everyone off from fishing from the island.'^ We replied that we had liberty to fish from it, and under such circumstances intended to enjoy the right and exercise it. '■' Tm only doing my duty. Sir," he replied ; '^ and if anybody doesn't move off when he's warned, my orders are to throw him in." In a case like this it is much harder to deal with a deputy than with a principal, as, after all, the deputy. A PMETTY KETTLE OF FISH. 231 whether right or wrong in the main question, is no doubt but doing his duty to his employer; yet one cannot aflford to consider this; so we replied that in the event of his attempting to throw us in there probably would be two persons with wet skins, adding that, for the present, at all events, we were casting from the bed of the river and not from the island. This point seemed new to him, but after a few moments' consideration he answered, " That doesn't count, for you've got your back into our place " — meaning that we were casting towards our own shore. By this time we had reached the end of the catch, but in order to argue the matter out we cried, " Oh ! it's quite immaterial to us if we cast face forwards, or turn round and cast backwards over the shoulder ; and if the latter will aflFord you any particular pleasure we have no objection to humour you on this occasion;" and suiting the action to the word we quickly faced about, hoisted the line in air and replaced it in the stream. It so chanced that the fly when at full length in the air swished round just over the cob's head, who bucked up and neatly laid the lad on his neck, then, astonished at his achievement, stood still. Fortunately the lad was righted, and so comic was the incident that we all burst out laughing, in which we were joined by a knot of idlers who had gathered to see the fun from the opposite bank. The keeper, with still a smile on his face, said, " That 232 ST HOOK AND BY CBOOK. won't do, Sir!" but^ as we had complied with all his rules, was at wits^ end to continue the argument ; how- ever, as we moved on, remarking that for the day we had finished with the pool, he suggested that should we apply for leave it probably would be granted; but this was not to the point, nor had we any desire to assist in the establishment of rights claimed by his employer. The keeper was really a very good fellow, likewise his master, and later on we all became the best of friends ; yet this was hardly a pleasant commencement to the week's fishing, but was nothing to what was to follow. It was with a certain feeling of relief that we walked down to the next pool, where certainly we should be unmolested, and so were the fish as far as we were concerned, for we did no execution with the big rod. The midday sun now began to hatch out the fly, so as the trout were popping up in all directions the little rod was put up, and after an hour or so's work claimed five or six brace of nice fish ; then, shortly after, the rise ceased and we gave it up, as it is weary work fishing " blind " for trout in early spring. Leaving the trout-rod safe amongst the trees, we made away down to the next salmon pool, having to miss out I of a mile en route not included in the ticket, and were strolling leisurely along with rod on shoulder, congratulating ourselves that half the distance was traversed, when our attention was arrested by shouts emanating from an individual who was sawing the air A PSETTT KETTLE OF FISH. 233 by a windmill-like action of the arms, while standing on the brow of an adjacent hill. He was evidently in a state of unusual excitement, but at the distance was quite inaudible ; yet there could be no doubt that some action of our's was the cause of his perturbation ; and such was the case, for during a lull in the wind we managed to catch something about having us " up at " (the nearest town) . The hilly nature of the country was not adapted to any rapid movement of this person's figure, which appeared to be of the bulky order, and as, to the best of our belief, the right of angling also gives the right of access, we pursued ourway without wasting time to argue. At length we gained the pool, but could make nothing of it, as it was quite impossible to command the catches, so we trudged on, and were just thinking what a fine resting-place for a fresh fish would be that bit of stream on the top of yon head, when up rose a big, fresh-run fish, falling back with a splash which sent the eddies to either bank. With time and difficulty we managed to wade out upon the ledges of rock until a fair cast could be ob- tained, then got'out the necessary length of line with- out disturbance of the water, and shot the fly out a few yards above and beyond him. No laggard was this one, as he came first time with haste, making a break on the surface — but, alas ! only to get hard pricked and scared for the day. Bad luck indeed ! ^34 SY HOOK AND BT CSOOK. We gained the bank and examined the hook^ but no fault was there ; then the splash of an oar fell on oar ears, and, looking up, we saw a boat being propelled towards us from the opposite bank. More trouble in store ! for we recognized the figure which was now approaching us in waders as of one who had, upon previous occasions, tried the scaring-off scheme M'ithout success. He said, in a tone none too civil, " IVe warned you oflP here many a time, Mr. , and if you won^t go I shall have to make you ; '' adding, " the leave on your ticket is neither here nor there.^' We told him that his opinion of our ticket did not interest us, and that he might turn us off if he could, upon which he contented himself with a long harangue about " gentlemen,^' and nothing in particular. He followed us down to the next pool, where we killed a 10 lb. fish under his eyes, which only produced rather stronger language and a threat of legal pro- ceedings, but none subsequently came. It was now getting dark, so we gave up fishing, having had not at all a bad day, in spite of trouble. They evidently had leagued together in an attempt, by annoyance and intimidation, to drive anglers from the water ; but we knew they neither dared to assault us nor to take the initiative in any legal proceedings, so we fished the week out with fair success, regardless of their threats, wliich gradually ceased, as they were found to be unavailing. A PBETTY KETTLE OF FISS. 235 This style of fishing was certainly not of the plea- santest ; still, " All's well that ends well." The right of fishing from the island was subsequently relinquished by the authorities who issued the tickets ; but whether because they had no right, or for other considerations, we could not ascertain, but of course we discontinued to fish from it. Gone! [ 236 ] CHAPTER XXX. THE INSTINCT AND SENSES OF FISH. The element in which fish exist naturally renders them more difficult of study than flesh or fowl ; never- theless observation and experiment have cleared up many disputed points, and have provided theories, which although perhaps not at present accepted facts, are pretty generally admitted. Many a habit of fish seems marvellous and incom- prehensible to the stranger, but intimacy and study reveal the marvel in its true light, viz. a purely common- sense action ; so, in attempting to elucidate matters, it is well to remember this in preference to seeking a more romantic theory. Fish pay strict attention to sustaining themselves and the reproduction of their kinds ; indeed, the males of some kinds, if by accident they have no opportunity to fertilize strictly kindred ova, will impregnate that of other kinds of their own species, should they have the chance. TSE INSTINCT AND SENSES OF FISH. 237 "We have yet to learn that Nature has imposed upon fish any duty or desire of exploration, beyond those requisite for food and reproduction. There would not appear to be any particular reason why fish should travel farther than necessary for their require- ments ; so when they do travel far, the probable expla- nation is that their requirements cannot be satisfied nearer at hand. It is established that, as a general rule, salmon re- turn from the sea to the river in which they were bred, or have subsequently spawned, which is by many con- sidered a most curious trait ; but if it were ascertained that fish during their visit to the sea remained in tlic vicinity of the estuary, the coincidence would be robbed of much that is marvellous. By his sojourn in tidal waters the salmon loses the parasites contracted in fresh water, and gains food to give him condition and increase of size ; so if it should so happen that he can satisfy these requirements while skirting the estuary, he possibly might feel disinclined to wander farther afield. When a creature is weak and in wasted condition, great exertion is distasteful, restoration to health and strength being the first prompting of nature. The idea that salmon travel thousands of miles between their periodical visits to fresh water, no doubt is most romantic ; but for all that it may not be correct as a general rule, although that occasionally they make 238 BT HOOK AND BY CBOOK. long journeys has been proved^ which, under certain circumstances, may be obligatory or even accidental. When it is considered how much lee way in point of condition the kelt has to make up on return to salt water, and his rapid growth while therein, a course of comparative inactivity does not appear unreasonable. As regards the sense of hearing of fish, in the absence of discovery of aural structures, it is pretty generally accepted that they possess no mechanism similar in con- struction to the ear ; yet it is possible, even probable, that they possess some organ susceptible to the effect produced by concussion, and capable of conveying it to the brain. This structure, it is reasonable to assume, is delicate in form, and, as has been suggested, may well be the flat, independent bone situated on the top of the snout. It may be doubted if this fan-shaped structure is sufficiently delicate to record the transmittal by water of wave-sounds such as those produced by the human voice, and as upon occasions, when close to fish but concealed from their view, we have shouted with no efi*ect, we question this possibility. Concussion produced by bringing an object in con- tact with water is another matter, and would be more easily conveyed to the fish ; and as when, from a con- cealed position, we have cast a heavy object into water behind a fish he has responded, we cannot but think that he was informed of the occurrence. THE INSTINCT AND SENSES 01 FISH. 239 He may have seen the missile iu air^ it is true ; but we think he did not, as the object was cast from directly behind him and he did not shift until the circle of disturbance reached him. The power of sight in fish, if not more interesting, is of the greatest importance to the angler, who, in spite of all difficulties, must endeavour to appreciate it, although he starts with the knowledge that the result of his studies will be but mere guesswork, for the simple season that the eye of man diflfers much from that offish. With the purpose of viewing a submerged object, a man may place himself in the same position as fish; but then he merely sees as he sees, not as do the fish ; and the same result attends attempts to gain information with the aid of glass-sided or glass-bottomed tanks, yet some knowledge may be gained by such methods as to the comparative invisibility of different materials and colours. By the action of the eye a picture is reproduced on the retina, but beyond this there is little similarity between the eye of man and fish ; for whereas the form of the fishes is round, that of man^s, although convex on back and front surfaces, is much more so on the former than on the latter. This construction of the human eye afibrds the means of almost instantaneous contraction and ex- pansion of the lens, thus providing the ability to focus 24:0 BY ROOK AND BY CROOK. objects at various distances, a result which is achieved in the telescope by varying the length of the tube, or, in other words, the distance separating the glasses. As proof of this, if the eye when employed with a near object be suddenly lifted to another farther off, it will be noted that a moment will be required to correctly focus the new picture. It is diflficult to determine the range of a fishes vision as regards submerged objects, for opportunities of observation are of rare occurrence; perhaps that afforded by a bridge is as good as most, as the fish, having become accustomed to the structure and its traffic, behave in a natural manner. From such observatories we have remarked that natural or artificial flies do not attract the attention of fish until within the range of a few feet, suggesting the inference that they have no very extensive vision ; like- wise they will remain stationary until the close ap- proach of a boat, but they are easily shifted by a person wading, unless he come upon them from behind. When wading up stream to command a particular catch we have accidently waded right over fish, and have only become aware of the fact by their haste to escape ; but fish see very badly any object approaching from the rear, as their eyes are not set for the purpose, and their habit is to watch for objects floating with the stream. The facility with which fish discern objects on or above the surface of water is another matter, as doubt- THE INSTINCT AND SENSES OF FISH. 241 less in either case the position and power of light above are more important factors than when the object is immersed. To the immersed human eye, when gazing upwards, the surface, under certain conditions of light, appears as of molten lead, impenetrable to the eye, and a some- what similar effect is produced by a broken surface — both tending to impede the view of fish as regards matters upon or near the surface ; and old anglers may be heard to remark, that " no good will be done with that 'glint' on the pool/' A tray with glass bottom, placed upon rough water, will reveal the position of any object, which previously was hidden, by refraction of light. When resting in heavy boiling water, fish either cannot see, or, being intent on other business diverting their attention, do not exercise the faculty against objects above water; for upon many occasions while standing at the foot of a fall we have, with a crooked stick, lifted a salmon half out of the water without his having given any signs of alarm, but when we ad- vanced a few yards away he went. Now, in consideration of the want of positive proof as to the comparative invisibility to fish of materials of various hues when immersed in water, the question arises, — Had we not better be guided by hints pro- vided by nature ? In these pages we have previously had occasion to allude to the heron, and we must revert to him ; for, R 242 BT SOOK AND BY CBOOK. fisherman as he is, standing knee-deep and close upon his prey, surely the colour of his legs and plumage must be well adapted to his purpose ; so if the angler reproduce these tones in his tackle he may be satisfied that he is not far wrong. Day after day the heron will frequent the same spot, standing on almost the identical stone, motionless, with neck only half stretched out across the stream, at about an angle of 45 degrees, so that he may instantly extend it. He selects a position within reach of a spot ofifering peculiar charms for his prey, and fishes, as it were, ''up stream; " and as he claims each victim he knows full well that another will soon supply the place of the last. In cold-blooded, creatures the sense of feeling is of very low grade, and if this were not so with fish they would not offer such strenuous opposition when hooked, in direct contrast to the behaviour of warm-blooded animals, when controlled under like circumstances; for instance, a bull with a ring or a horse with a twitch on his nose. Upon being grasped a fish is momentarily inactive, but he soon overcomes the effect and strives for freedom. That the sense of smell is enjoyed by fish is evidently the belief of those who advertise for sale variously scented oils, or, at all events, they must be of opinion that others, whom they choose to designate as " sports- men," hold such views. THE INSTINCT AND SENSES OF FISH. 243 It is a matter of difficulty to decide if fish possess this sense, for although they may take with avidity a natural bait, such as worm or insect, the sense of sight may be sufficient to account for their acumen. Animals and fish are supposed to claim a natural food, but were the young not tutored by their seniors it would probably take them some time to discriminate between food wholesome or otherwise; yet fish will readily seize such unusual food as gentles, and it may well be argued that a sense over and above that of sight prompts them so to do. The use of salmon roe, we all know, is illegal in the capture of fish ; but many of us have seen baskets of trout, which could not have been taken by any other bait, and some of us have seen fish taken with it in out-of-the-way districts ; and there can be no doubt that fish draw to it from afar, and we cannot but think that they become aw^e of its presence by other means than sense of sight ; these other means may be correctly described as instinct, but we prefer to define them as sense of smell. Fish are quick to reject from their mouths articles which they find unsuitable for food ; but a certain space of time elapses before they spit them out, such as would lead to the inference that the object had been examined by the mouth and tongue. We have seen fish take *' necked " trout-flies when cast on the water, then expel them under water to a distance of six inches ; and although the hook would b2 244 ST HOOK AND ST CBOOK. likely enougli apprise them of the deception, we think that they were warned by the sense of taste as well as by that of touch. It must be remembered that fish have no limbs with which to test or experiment, so these duties entirely fall on the mouth, the result being that, frequently, they have to suffer for curiosity and misplaced confidence. There is one exception, for occasionally a fish will throw his body over an object with apparently no idea of seizing it ; we have seen our fly or line repeatedly treated in this mauner — for what reason, we have not the slightest idea. We have also seen a fish, when hooked, fly to another, apparently for assistance, and the fish thus appealed to has jumped across our line, but whether by accident or design it is impossible to say. X [ 215 ] CHAPTER XXXI. SAFSOLEONJA FERAX. The magnitude of destruction wrought at the present time by this scourge appears to be little appreciated by others than those who unfortunately, in one sense, have its fatal results brought immediately before their notice, or surely remedies would ere this have been attempted. But no ! the authorities at headquarters treat the disease with phlegmatic apathy, the Fishery Boards confine their operations to interment of its victims, and riparian proprietors do nothing what- ever. Under such circumstances it is not to be wondered that the disease is yearly becoming more virulent, while extending its deadly clutch. Inspectors from time to time have visited the affected districts with no further result, and the time has now arrived when the value of many fisheries will be seriously diminished unless drastic measures of reform be very shortly put into operation. 246 BY HOOK AND BY CROOK. Rather more than twenty years ago a combination of circumstances had so fostered the germ of this disease that it had made sufficient progress to attract serious attention;, and from then until the present date it has steadily and surely gained ground, so that during the first three months of this year near upon 2000 salmon have been removed and buried by watchers and keepers on the Sol way rivers alone, while many thousands affected in a less degree have found their way into the market to be consumed by the public, and many others have died in the rivers, where they either now remain or have been washed away. The disease attacks clean fish and kelt alike, being often contracted by the former when barely out of the tide-way. Within a day or two after a flood, while the water is yet thick, the presence of disease can be clearly detected upon fresh-run fish as they leap above the surface ; a week later the majority become affected, and within two weeks after a flood there is scarcely a fish free from it. Fresh-run fish when first affected fre- quent the swift-running streams as usual, then, as they sicken, may be seen jumping and sliding, as it were, upon the surface as if to allay irritation by friction, flying about like mad things — in fact the uninitiated observer might imagine that the movements of one were those of several, so ubiquitous are the move- ments of the diseased fish. Day by day the fungus extends over their bodies and they quit the streams for slacker water, until in 8APS0LEGNIA FJSSAX. 247 the last stages six or more will lie side by side together close in under the bank, little heeding the passer by. In such predicament a fish will remain motionless for half an hour at a time, when some sudden impulse causes him to dash about as if scorched with a red-hot iron. The fungus first attacks the parts of the fish which are unprotected by scales, such as the top of the snout, back of the head, adipose fin, and tail ; thence it gradu- ally extends until the entire body may be covered, causing it to appear as if clothed in white cotton- wool. Abrasions of the skin caused by accident are nearly always assailed by the fungus. The head is frequently attacked so severely that the flesh is eaten away from the outside down to the teeth, while the body is intact ; again, the growth may enter the gills, when death quickly results. The disease probably takes six weeks or more to entirely clothe a fish ; but should it approach the gills, much less time will suffice to destroy him, so, should there be a lengthy interval between floods, many die. A flood makes a clean sweep of diseased fish, for the simple reason that they have not strength to contend against its volume, so, fortunately, get carried down to the salt water, which effects their cure ; but the indentations left by the fungus are apparent if the fish be captured upon re-ascending the river, for although the scale-covered parts are without blemish, the parts of the head upon which the fungus previously 248 Br HOOK AND BY CBOOK. existed now appear sunken below the natural level, and are of a red colour, — but healthy wounds. It is unfortunate that the application of a rough cloth will readily remove from the scales all trace of the growth, but should the flesh be boiled its deep red colour will reveal the late seat of disease. During the first stages of the malady, when the spots are no larger than a crown piece, a proportion of the sufferers will take the artificial fly or minnow, but when further advanced nothing will tempt them. In addition to the injury to sport, a river thus affected affords a distressing spectacle to the angler and admirer of the salmon, which, instead of selecting the aerated rushing streams, lies skulking under the banks, whose upper surfaces have already been converted into one long cemetery for others of his species, the frequent patches of freshly laid turf bearing evidence of the work of the gravedigger — the watcher, while the occasional dead carcasses lying at the bottom or edge of the water pollute the stream and atmosphere. Kelts are also affected by the disease and die in vast numbers, but those caught towards the end of March and later are mostly free from it, although captured in pools which teem with diseased fresh-run fish ; and as these well-mended kelts have undoubtedly dropped down from the uppermost waters, it clearly indicates that in those parts the conditions are healthier, as they are less densely inhabited. It is a fact that an exceptionally heavy run of fish, SAPBOLEQNIA lEBAX. 249 such as that which occurred in the autumn of 1891 in the Solway rivers, is invariably followed by a cor- responding increase of disease. This fairly represents the present state of affairs, and holds good to a minor extent as regards many other rivers; in fact each successive season brings recruits to the already long list of polluted waters. When food material, such as beast or bird, is threat- ened by disease, authorities or breeders at once take steps to eradicate it, but in the case of fish it appears to be no one^s business or concern. The proprietors of net-fishings in the lower and middle waters see no cause for exertion, as by the assist- ance of disease every fish in the pool can be counted as gain, for while cowering by the banks half a dozen can be secured in open daylight at one haul of the net, which, after being wiped over with a cloth, command as high a price as healthy fish, unless the head be scarred, when a shilling or so per fish is knocked off for the benefit of the retailer alone, as, in nine cases out of ten, the consumer does not see the head, and would not put the correct construction upon it if he did. In consideration of the conditions which have so favoured the increase and spread of the disease, it is remarkable that it almost entirely exists in rivers whose watersheds include large districts devoted to agriculture, and it must be noted in what respect these differ at the present day as compared with 30 or 30 years ago. 250 BY HOOK AND BT CROOK. From various causes the farmer has turned to ac- count every rood under his control, and with this object lias drained all low-lying swampy lands, so converting hitherto wasted ground into productive soil. By this process a fall of rain, which formerly took weeks to filter into the river, now takes as many days, with the result that a flood which maintained the river in angling trim for a space of three weeks, now scarcely provides a week — running oflF as from a duck's back. It follows that the general volume of water in a river is much less than formerly, and it would appear that fish have one third of the time in which to run up and surmount obstructions ; but such is not in reality the case, as in many instances the abnormal height of the water at the commencement of a flood actually pre- vents the fish negotiating obstructions, and compels them to await a subsidence ; thus their running periods arc curtailed at the commencement and end of a flood. It results — that the fish are confined to a smaller area than was formerly the case, while they are more strictly protected by law with the object of increasing their numbers. To eradicate, or at any rate to reduce, the sway of disease, one of two methods must be adopted : viz., either allow more fisli to be taken, by the repeal of laws now in existence governing the capture of clean fish or kelt, or both — or else allow the fish more scope in the river. The latter method, naturally, is the more advantageous. SAPEOLEGNIA FERAX. 251 but more complicated and expensive at the outset; yet it should be given every assistance by the upper proprietors, for by it the fish, which under existing circumstances are in great measure wasted, would be converted into gain to them. The cost of carrying out such a scheme would necessarily vary upon different rivers, for, in some, miles upon miles of little inhabited water could be opened up at the expense of a ten-pound note ; while upon others, cauls with fish-passes would have to be constructed and even artificial lakes made ; but sooner or later such work will have to be undertaken, simply to compensate for excessive drainage. It is sometimes objected that spring fish are not so keen to surmount obstacles as the autumn fish, and seem satisfied to remain in the lower waters ; but this is all the more reason why every means should be adopted to induce them to ascend by the assistance of easy passes. Trout affected by the disease are frequently observed, and should this increase, the result will be even more disastrous than in the case of salmon, for trout make no voyage to salt water, the only natural cure. The presence of disease in a river also attracts the loafer for obvious reasons, who perambulates any right- of-way along the banks which under ordinary circum- stances has no charm for him. If he were to confine his attentions to the diseased fish, not much objection would be taken to him ; but unfortunately he is often 252 SY HOOK AND BY CBOOK. of a class whicli attaches no distinct meaning to the words meum and tuum, as regards fresh fish, game eggs, and tackle. In this connection an amusing episode occurred : — Two such gentlemen marked, from afar, a watcher take and bury a diseased fish ; later on, when the coast was clear, they visited the spot with the object of re- covering the fish, but found to their disappointment only the head and tail, the watcher having taken the middle piece with him. By reason of the long drought throughout the spring of 1892, the disease, in addition to having played un- precedented havoc among salmon, has realized the worst fears, by having extended to the yellow trout, which have been found in large numbers, dead or dying, more or less covered with the fungus, and in both of these conditions have been removed with the landing-net. With the exception of a few injured by trout-hooks, the smolts appear to have escaped the visitation, and as by this time (25th April) they in the mid-reaches are those which have descended from the upper waters, it would appear that the latter districts are little, if at all, infected. The following is an instance of the ignorance of Conservators as to the state of affairs in the rivers over whose destinies they preside, and of the puerile, flip- pant manner in which they dismiss the subject of disease. The quarterly meeting of " The Conservators " SAFROLEONIA FESAX. 253 was reported by the press^ and the Board stated " that '' the salmon disease had of late much increased, but " spring fish had not been affected to any great extent, " a large number of the early -run fish having dropped " back to the sea/^ Probably many fish in the lowest waters had dropped back to the sea, but, at the time this report was read, in the middle waters as many as 20 diseased spring-fish could be seen in one pool alone, and in about 4 miles of water it is no exaggeration to say that hundreds were observed lying together, in batches of 7 to 10, in slack water by the banks. As they became blind by the fungus the majority fell an easy prey to poachers, who reaped a rare harvest. A member of the Board realized the necessity of grappling with the disease, and suggested " that the " committee should give their serious attention to the " desirability of stamping out the salmon disease." This suggestion, however, was derided by another member, who countered with the remark, ''that they " should appoint a committee to send a flood down; " and with this inanely frivolous speech "the subject dropped." Apart from the levity of the remark, the latter speaker demonstrated his ignorance of the subject under consideration, being apparently unaware that the remedy he facetiously alluded to had been applied, without success, by nature throughout the last five-and- twenty years. Under the present conditions of infected rivers a 254 BT HOOK AND BY CBOOK. flood simply sweeps away the diseased fish, but within a few days the malady reappears. When the health of human beings or animals is ascertained to be injured by overcrowding or defective sanitary arrangements, not only are endeavours made to cure the sufferers, but precautions are taten to pre- vent the repetition of the initial causes of the evil, by the correction of defects. It is impossible to gauge the extent to which the present stock of trout may be affected in the near future, and it must be apparent that their non-migratory habits deprive them of the same natural means of recovery as is possessed by salmon ; so, in all probability, each fish attacked — dies. r 255 1 CHAPTER XXXII. ' TIDAL WATERS. It may occasionally be the angler's lot to fish for salmon or sea-trout in tidal waters, when the following patterns of imitation sea-shrimp will be of service in the vicinity of rushes or weeds growing about narrow channels — the last of the ebb being the most likely time. Hook. — Small salmon size. Body. — Yellow stained whole quill. Tinsel. — Medium silver oval braid, with black silk twist behind. Hackle. — Black Cock's. Tail. — Points of black, or yellowish-brown Cock's hackle. The tail must not extend beyond bend of the hook. FINIS. I'BINTKD BY TAYLOB AND FRANCIS UED LION COURT, FLEET STllEET. YD 1 1 696 ■<-^±i:G&-J ( I