Blacker's art of fly making, &c.
by W. Blacker · English · Gutenberg #35752 · 325,325 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: Blacker's art of fly making, &c.
comprising angling, & dyeing of colours, with engravings of salmon & trout flies
Author: W. Blacker
Release date: April 2, 2011 [eBook #35752]
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35752
Credits: Produced by Chris Curnow, Emmy and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACKER'S ART OF FLY MAKING, &C. ***
Produced by Chris Curnow, Emmy and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive)
ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY GEO. NICHOLS, EARL'S COURT,
LEICESTER SQUARE.
[Illustration: FLY FISHING]
PATRONISED BY H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT.
[Illustration]
BLACKER'S, ART OF FLY MAKING, &c.,
COMPRISING ANGLING,
& DYEING OF COLOURS,
WITH ENGRAVINGS
OF SALMON & TROUT FLIES
SHEWING THE PROCESS
OF THE GENTLE CRAFT
AS TAUGHT IN
THE PAGES.
* * * * *
WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF
FLIES FOR THE SEASON
OF THE YEAR
AS THEY COME OUT
ON THE WATER.
REWRITTEN & REVISED
BY THE AUTHOR
BLACKER, HIMSELF,
FISHING TACKLE MAKER
OF 54, DEAN ST, SOHO,
LONDON.
1855.
CONTENTS.
Page.
Preface v
The Art of Fly Making 1
An Easy Method to make the Trout Fly 3
An Easy Method of making a Plain Salmon Fly 8
To make the Trout Fly, in the best and most approved method 13
To make the Palmer, or Double-Hackle Fly 20
How to make the Salmon Fly, as shown in the Beautiful Plate
of Engravings on Salmon Hooks 23
Process of making the Gaudy Salmon Fly 30
To make the Winged Larva 42
A Catechism of Fly-Making 46
The Trout Flies for the Season 55
Flies for March 57
Flies for April 60
Flies for May 64
Flies for June 69
Flies for July 72
Flies for August 76
Fishing Rods and Fly Fishing 80
Fly Fishing for Salmon 88
An Account of the Salmon, and its Varieties 96
The Salmon Fry 100
A Description of the Fifteen Salmon Flies Engraved in the
Plates 104
Spring Flies 117
Salmon Rivers 120
The River Tweed 121
The River Shannon 123
The Lakes of Clare 124
The Lakes of Killarney 126
Lough Curran, Waterville 133
Connamara and Ballynahinch 138
Ballyna 142
Ballyshannon 145
The Rivers Bush and Bann 149
The River Bann 156
Lakes of Westmeath 163
The River Lee, at Cork 169
Salmon Rivers in Scotland 170
The River Tay 171
The Dee and Don 176
The River Spey 177
The Findhorn 179
Rivers and Lakes adjacent to Fort William, on the
Caledonian Canal 180
Salmon Flies for Fort William, &c. 186
Salmon Flies for the Ness 187
The River Shin 189
The River Thurso 191
The River Esk 194
Loch Leven 195
The River Allan 196
Loch Awe and River 200
The Rivers Irvine, Girvan, and Stincher, in Ayrshire 203
Rivers of Wales.--The Conway 205
The River Dovey 205
The River Tivey 206
The Wye, Monmouth 207
The River Severn 208
The Trent 209
Rivers of York and Derby 210
The Hodder 211
Rivers of Derby 211
The Rivers Wandle and Coln 212
Bait Fishing.--The River Thames 216
Perch 218
Barbel 219
Pike 221
Roach 224
Dace 226
Carp 226
Chub 227
Gudgeons and Minnows 228
Baits 229
The Art of Dyeing Fishing Colours 232
To Dye Yellow 234
To Dye Brown 236
To Dye a Yellow-Brown 237
To Dye Blue 238
To Dye Red 239
To Dye Orange 240
To Dye Purple or Violet 241
To Dye Crimson 241
To Dye Scarlet. 242
Crimson Red in Grain 243
To Dye Green Drake Feathers and Fur 243
To Dye Claret 244
Another way to Dye Claret 245
To Dye Black 246
To Dye Greens of various Shades 246
To Dye Lavender or Slate Dun, &c. 247
Blues 248
A Silver Grey 248
A Coffee or Chesnut 249
To Dye Olives and a Mixture of Colours 249
A Concise way of Dyeing Colours 250
The Materials necessary for Artificial Fly Making 256
PREFACE.
I know not how to apologise for submitting a Second Edition of this
little Book to the notice of the Angling few, after the appearance of so
many by clever writers, except the many calls I had for it, and a
sincere desire of improving farther upon a craft that has not hitherto
been clearly promulgated by a real practitioner; consequently my great
object is to benefit and amuse my readers, by giving them something
practical, which at the present time may be particularly wanted by those
who love to make their own flies, whose wants, without doubt, will be
found sufficiently supplied in this book; the tyro will appreciate it
as valuable to him, and the senior angler who may, perchance, be in
possession of it, and who may be singularly fond of making his flies,
and amusing himself dyeing the hackles and colours, &c., will, I am
persuaded, consider it a treasure.
My endeavours have been unceasing for many years past, in striving to
please the great Salmon Fishers and Trout Fishers of this Country, and I
must confess that my labours have not been in vain; they have generously
conferred upon me their very kind patronage and good will, benefits for
which I hold them in very great estimation. Under these circumstances, I
have taken much pains to write the book in a befitting manner to suit
their tastes and purposes, although my inability in many instances has
been an obstacle, nevertheless with all my faults I claim the title of
Fisherman, an humble and unimportuned name which no reasonable
dispensation can deprive me of.
From my boyhood, I took great delight in ranging along the banks of the
beautiful and romantic streams of my native land, Ireland; and having
also been for many years a skilful Fly Fisher of no little commendation,
in both Great Britain and Hibernia, it is my desire to impart to the
world, plainly and easily, the knowledge I have acquired, that all those
who wish to become masters of the art, may, by patience and practice,
and a close adherence to the instructions I shall lay down, derive the
fullest benefit from my experience.
I have endeavoured in the following treatise on Fly-making, to divest
the subject, as far as possible, of all technicalities and
superfluities; at the same time, I have entered into such full details
in the construction of the Fly, that by adopting the process I have
pointed out, and following the instructions I have given, the aspirants
to the art of Fly-making may speedily become proficients.
In this little book there will be found nothing imaginary, but it is
purely written from the practice of angling, so that I may without
scruple, justly entitle it THE ART OF FLY-MAKING, ANGLING, AND DYEING
OF COLOURS. It is also interspersed with many useful remarks that will
no doubt agreeably entertain my readers.
No man has taken such pains to improve upon the angler's craft as I; on
every article in the whole range of fishing tackle I have made some
improvement on rods, flies, lines, reels, and tackle of every sort; and
in these pages have left a lasting memorial of my handicraft to the
fly-fisher, from whom I have hidden nothing that might retard him in his
progress, and who will appreciate it for the great deal of matter
propounded in little compass to prevent incumbrance; that the lovers of
fly fishing, which has superior claims, may have an opportunity of
keeping it in their side pocket,--to be convenient and handy when on
their piscatory excursions, the exercise and variety of which will be
found advantageous to the health, and the calming of the mind--things
not to be purchased; enjoying at the same time the harmonious notes of
the warblers of the grove, and musing upon the diversity of the
prospects around, while straying along the beautiful streams and vallies
of this delightful country.
The list of flies I have given, will be found very valuable, and the
tyro will take great delight in imitating these flies necessary for use,
and suiting the colours exactly to each, keeping to their symmetrical
forms as they appear with his light materials. This beautiful branch of
fly-making, peculiarly my own, cannot fail to perfect the angler who is
scientific and ingenious, the result of which will be never-failing
success.
I have added to the art of fly-making full instructions, and the most
approved receipts for dyeing mohair, pighair, feathers, and other
materials most useful and appropriate for imitating the natural flies
and stuffs the most killing for Trout and Salmon; and which will retain
their brilliancy through all the vicissitudes to which they may be
exposed.
To bring the Engravings of the flies to the greatest perfection, I have
stood at the elbow of the artist who executed this part of the work,
that they might be turned out exact to my own models, which renders them
and the descriptions more intelligible, as the shade in the fibre of
each feather is shown in the plate, in the clearest and finest manner
imaginable, that it may be properly seen how these artificial flies are
constructed,--the resemblance of those beautiful ones, the productions
of the Great Author of Nature, that Trout and Salmon do love to feed
upon.
I have also given the principal rivers of England, Ireland, Scotland,
and Wales, with the flies best adapted to each, which will enable the
fisher to have all things in readiness on his arrival at their
localities, and sally out on the finny tribe fearless of disappointment;
and for the younger branch of anglers, I have shown the various sorts of
fish, with the tackle and baits best adapted to catch them.
The catechism of fly making which I have introduced will be found very
curious and instructive to the young beginner, and will afford him every
opportunity of retaining the whole process, that when rehearsed in the
mind, and perfectly understood, he may apply, with more certain
facility, the hand to both material and hook.
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR,
WILLIAM BLACKER,
_At 54, Dean Street, Soho,
1855._
[Illustration]
List of Plates.
Plate Page
1. Blacker Fly-fishing Frontispiece.
2. Titlepage.
3. An easy method to make the Trout-fly _opposite_ 3
4. An easy method of making a Salmon-fly 8
5. The best method of making a Trout-fly 13
6. To make the Palmer's _to face_ 20
7. How to make the Salmon-fly 23
8. Process of making the Gaudy Salmon-fly _opposite_ 30
9. The plate of Feathers _to face_ 34
10. To make the Winged Larva 42
11. Plate of Six Flies Catechism 46
12. Plate of 15 Trout-flies _opposite flies for March_ 57
13. Plate of 16 Flies _opposite_ 65
14. Plate of Larvas and Green Drakes _opposite_ 78
15. Plate of Gaudy Flies, Nos. 1, 2, 3, _opposite_ 105
16. Plate of three Salmon-flies, Nos. 4, 5, 6, _opposite_ 108
17. Plate of four Flies, Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10 110
18. Large Spring Salmon-fly 116
19. Plate of 7 Flies and Salmon _to face_ 145
20. Plate of Minnow tackle, &c. _to face_ 216
21. Plate of Pike tackle, &c. 221
22. Paternoster and Barbel tackle 230
[Illustration]
_An Extract of a Review of William Blacker's Art
of Fly Making, &c. &c. &c., taken from "Bell's
Life in London," April 8th, 1855._
"THE ART OF FLY MAKING, ANGLING & DYEING OF COLOURS. BY W. BLACKER,--Mr.
Blacker has been a celebrated trout and salmon angler from early
boyhood, and he is known to be the best maker of trout and salmon flies
alive. We have never seen such flies as his, for naturalness of shape,
appropriateness of colour and for beauty and solidity of finish. In
making flies he has "caught a grace beyond the reach of art," and this
he exhibits in the _Sanspareil_ work before us. It contains no fewer
than seventeen engravings on steel and copper, of trout and salmon
flies, in every stage of fabrication, from the whipping of hook and gut
together to the finishing of the head. These engravings, every plate
crowded with figures, are executed after his own models and under his
own _Surveillance_, and carefully and beautifully coloured, he standing,
as he says, "by the artist's elbow." They contain coloured
representations of hackles, wing-feathers, fur, silk, tinsel, in their
natural state, and prepared for forming the artificial insect. His
profusely illustrated instructions for making salmon-flies are entirely
original there being nothing at all like them in any work extant, and he
must be a dull scholar indeed, who shall not, after brief study of them,
become his own salmon fly dresser. Mr. Blacker withholds no secret and
spares no pains in developing by the aid of pen and pencil his own
method, and we consider it the best, of making artificial flies for
every variety of trout and salmon. He gives numerous, well-tried recipes
for dying feathers and all other materials, the colours necessary for
the successful operations of the fly-maker. He points out how rods are
best made, the best sort of winches, lines and hooks, and proves himself
a safe guide to the purchaser. He teaches how the rod, and line and
flies, are to be used--the art of casting with them, how a river is to
be fished, and how a fish, whether trout or salmon, is to be struck,
hooked and landed. He describes the best trout and salmon rivers in the
empire, the right season for fishing them, and gives an illustrated list
of the flies, stating the materials of what they are to be made, that
kill best on them. On flies, favourites of his from experience, he
dwells with pleased and pleasing minuteness, and for the first time
discloses how the "winged larva," a deadly invention of his own, is to
be constructed. Never, was a book more honestly and conscientiously
written. It glows with deep-felt enthusiasm for his art, and with a
generous desire of revealing everything that pertains to the perfect
acquisition of it in all its branches. It is a work of great labour and
long pains-taking, unique at all points, and no one could have written
it but a practical angler of long, passionate, and devoted experience in
the capture of salmon and salmonidae, and of _ne plus ultra_ perfection
in the art of making artificial flies, and concomitant fishing tackle.
The work is published by himself, at 54, Dean Street, Soho, and we
recommend it more earnestly than we have ever done any other work of the
sort."
* * * * *
_An Extract from "Bell's Life," April 29th, 1855._
"I shall copy a few of Mr. Blacker's patterns as given in his
recently-published and very valuable work, entitled _Art of Fly Making,
&c._ He is by far the best flymaker I have ever known, and his opinions
on flies and fly-fishing deserve the attention of us all. In the book
just named he says of the Yellow Sally:--"This is the forerunner of the
green drake or May-fly. The trout take this little fly freely if made
after this description:--
"Body, buff-coloured fur and a small yellow hackle
for legs round the head; wings of the
buff-coloured feather inside the wing of the
thrush. Hook, 13."
"Several ways of imitating the May-fly. First,
Blacker's, as given in his Art of Fly Making:--The
body of this beautiful fly is made of yellow green
mohair, the colour of a gosling newly hatched, and
ribbed with yellow-brown silk, a shade of light
brown mohair at the tail, and a tuft of the same
at the shoulder, picked out between the hackle,
the whisks of the tail three black hairs,
three-quarters of an inch long; the hackle to be
dyed a greenish buff (dye, according to my recipe,
a silver dun hackle with bars across it, called a
cuckoo,) or a light ginger hackle bordering on
yellow. The wings, which should be made full, and
to stand upright, are made of mallard's feathers
dyed of a greenish buff, or yellowish shade; a
brown head of peacock harl tied neatly above the
wings on a No. 6 hook. The wings may be made of
the tops of two large dyed mallard's feathers,
with fibres stripped off at the butts of the
stems, tied back to back. These feathers stand up
well and appear very naturally in the water.
Large-sized ones kill well in lakes, with bright
yellow mohair bodies ribbed with gold twist.
"Second way, from A Handbook of Angling.--Body,
bright yellow mohair, or floss silk, ribbed
sparingly with light bronze peacock harl; wings,
mottled feather of the mallard dyed a pale yellow
green. They are to stand nearly erect, and to be
slightly divided. Legs, a couple of turns of a
red-ginger hackle; tail, three hairs from the
rabbit's whisker. Hook, 5, 6, and 7.--Another way:
Body, yellow-brown mohair; wings, mallard's
feather dyed yellow, and black head; legs,
yellowish hackle; tail and hooks as before. During
the season of the May-fly, should the weather be
gloomy, with a strong warm wind, I would angle
with three flies on the casting-line of different
sizes, and of colours slightly differing, buff,
yellow, and yellow-green, and one of them made
buzz. The largest fly should be used as the
stretcher; the smallest the upper bob."
_An Extract from "Bell's Life," April 1st, 1855 "The Ondine" in the Book
of the Salmon, by "Ephemera,"_
"Gold tip; tail, small, brilliant topping, light
blue tag; body, blue peacock harl, closely ribbed
with fine gold twist; two joints of green trogan
feather, and one of red orange hackle under the
wings, and over their butts blue jay; wings, a
careful mixture of fibres of bustard, silver
pheasant, yellow and blue macaw teal, guinea-hen
and golden pheasant tail and neck-feathers,
surmounted by a topping; feelers, blue and yellow
macaw, and bright peacock harl, head. Hook, No. 7
and 8. This waterwitch, sculptured originally by
Blacker, is properly called "Ondine." The first
time I saw it I nearly lost my senses, and was
upon the point of becoming its victim.
"The May-fly and Phelim Rhu are best made by
Blacker, of Dean Street, Soho; Phelim is one of
his many good inventions. Dressed on the smallest
sized grilse hook, it will on dark days and
evenings, and in full water kill sea trout and
large common trout in every locality. See a
celebrated claret fly plate No. 4, page 108."
* * * * *
_Prince Albert's Letter to the Author, enclosing_ L10.
Nearly eleven years have rolled by, since I sent a
copy of the first edition of this work to His
Royal Highness Prince Albert, who conferred upon
me much honor by a favourable reply to it, at that
time I took great pains to illustrate it with
specimens of the most costly and beautifully
executed salmon and trout flies imaginable, many
of which were worth a guinea a piece. In this new
edition for 1855 I have given numerous
copperplates of these excellent killing flies
superbly painted to suit the rivers of Ireland,
Scotland, England, and Wales; such choice
specimens are they that I think salmon and trout
will not refuse them in any river in Britain, they
are models of gracefulness, and will prove very
attractive to the finny tribe, they are all
general favourite flies of mine, and of the great
salmon and trout fly fishers of the present day.
The angler should never fail to try them wherever
he roamed in rivers known or unknown to him, and
succesful experience has given me an opportunity
of recommending them with the greatest confidence,
they have killed fish when they have been half
gnawed away, and as a fisherman I look upon them
with admiration although they are the work of my
own fingers, I think I will not say amiss if I
predestinate that the real enthusiastic fly
fishers, nine out of ten, will be in love with
them.
THE LETTER.
"Buckingham Palace, May 7th, 1844.
"Mr. Anson is commanded by His Royal Highness Prince Albert to enclose
Mr. Blacker a cheque for ten pounds for the Work on Angling which
accompanied his letter, the receipt of which he will have the goodness
to acknowledge."
THE ART OF FLY-MAKING,
ETC., ETC.,
BY WILLIAM BLACKER.
To give something that will convey a durable and correct idea of
Fly-making, Angling, and Dyeing of Colours to my pupils, is what I aim
at, and desire they should understand: for when they are inhaling the
fresh breezes on the river's bank, observing with delight the varied
tints and delicate forms of the winged insects skimming the surface, and
the sportive trout, pitching over and over, taking them down, this is
the time, no doubt, when far from the din of a busy town they will thank
me for my trouble in directing their attention to the proper shades,
which is the most essential of all things in the Art to be considered.
The amusement and pleasing recollections of the Fly-fisher, (when
studying the various colours and materials necessary for the formation
of the artificial fly--those fanciful ones which salmon take so freely,
and the imitating, if possible, by the aid of these materials, those
beautiful ones in Nature), will be infinitely more pleasing than can be
well comprehended by a careless observer of the craft. Many a pleasant
hour may be spent, that otherwise would prove tedious, when confined to
quarters of an unfavourable day, far from home, looking over your
dubbing book and tying a fly. It gives relief to the uneasy mind by
calming the disorders that disappointments may have caused, and by
cheering the hearts of those who pursue it as a relaxation and
enjoyment. The recommendations on Angling are without number, and there
is nothing can delight the heart of the fly-fisher so much as to see the
fish rise at the flies on the surface of the water, and their beautiful
appearance when landed on the bank; this, with the varied scenery which
the windings of the river presents to the imagination, as you roam
along, are inducements that cannot fail to gratify the admirer of
sportive fish and rushing streams.
[Illustration: AN EASY METHOD TO MAKE THE TROUT-FLY.]
I have seen, in days when the fish are not in the humour of taking, a
fly tied neatly near the tint, somewhat gaudy, will unquestionably
entice them to rise, and will decidedly be more advantageous than
fishing without plan. In days when the natural flies are most numerous,
the trout will not take the artificial fly so freely; on the contrary,
when these insects are rarely to be seen, if the angler can find the
colour that is then prevailing, and imitate it, his success will be
considerably increased.
In these pages will be found descriptions of Flies that will kill well
in every river and lake in the United Kingdom. And those in the "Hand
Book of Angling," and the "Book of the Salmon," by the celebrated
"Ephemera," will also be found excellent throughout the Kingdom.
AN EASY METHOD TO MAKE THE TROUT FLY.
(_See Plate._)
The tyro will provide himself with a dubbing book, containing numerous
compartments, to hold feathers, furs, pig hair, mohair, hackles, wing
feathers, silk, tinsel, scissars, pliers, knife, and every other
article necessary for fly-making--all of which may be procured at my
Shop, 54, DEAN STREET, SOHO, with RODS, REELS, LINES, GUT, HOOKS,
ARTIFICIAL BAITS, and every denomination of FISHING TACKLE, of the most
superior quality in LONDON.
Having laid out your materials on the table, seat yourself by a good
light, and proceed as follows:--Take a piece of fine silk, and pin one
end of it on your knee, take the other end between your left fore-finger
and thumb, and with the right, take a small piece of shoemaker's wax,
well tempered, and rub it all over the silk, keeping it tight in your
left till it is all covered with the wax, rub it well on the end you are
about to tie on the hook with, to keep it firm, for it will be found a
very great object to use the wax throughout the making of the fly, as
with the working of the tying silk it rubs off with the hand. There is a
very beautiful silk of all colours to be had on spools, which ribbons
are made of, that works very finely on the hook; when you wax it, take
two or three folds of it, and pin it evenly on your knee, as before (or
hold it between your teeth and twist it), twist it gently between your
fingers a little so that you can wax it well, provide a piece of leather
about an inch wide and an inch and a half long, double it, and lay a
piece of nicely tempered wax between the folds, flatten it, and when you
wax the silk, take the leather between your fingers, open the edge of
it, and rub the wax on the tying silk in the same way as before, and you
will not break the silk so easily, or dirty your fingers with the wax.
You now take the hook by the bend in the left fore-finger and thumb,
give two or three turns of the silk round the shank, flatten the end of
the gut a little, which keeps it from drawing off, and tie it on
underneath about half way down the hook firmly, this done, lay on a
little varnish with your pencil. Take a piece of finer silk to make the
fly with, and fasten it near the end of the shank, do not bring the silk
to the extreme end of the shank to leave room for the wings, as they are
apt to slip over on the gut if tied on too near. You strip off two
pieces from the woodcock or starling wing, and lay them together evenly
at the points, that the wings may be double when tied on (see the
Trout-fly wing cut out of the woodcock feather, in the Plate), see that
you do not make the wings too long when tying them on, let them be a
little longer than the bend; press them tightly with your nails on the
hook where you tie them on, and do not clip the ends of the wings with
your nails, which gives them an unnatural appearance, but whether you
lay them on first, or tie them on the reverse way and turn them back,
make a judgment of the proper length; you now tie the wings on the
reverse way at the end of the shank, with two or three rolls of the
silk, give a running knot over it, and clip off the refuse ends of the
roots of the feather; now before you form the body or tie on the hackle,
turn the wings up in their place with the thumb nail of the right, and
divide them in equal parts with a needle, draw the silk in and out
between them, take a turn or two over the roots to keep them firmly in
their place, and fasten with a running knot behind them next your left;
then tie on the hackle, to suit the size, by the root (the soft flue
previously picked off), close to the wings on its back, and give a knot
over it, take the hackle by the point in your pliers, and roll it over
the shank close under the wings two or three times on its side, keeping
the outside of it next the wings, then draw it (the hackle) right
through them, let the pliers hang with the point of the hackle in them
at the head, and take two turns of the tying silk over it, fasten on the
end of the shank which was left a little bare, cut off the silk and
hackle points, give another knot or so to secure it before so doing, and
lay on a little varnish at the head; now tie on a piece of fine tying
silk opposite the barb on the shank, take two fibres of a mallard
feather and tie them on about three-eighths of an inch long for tail, to
extend over the bend of the hook, and with one knot tie on a piece of
fine floss silk about three inches long to rib the fly; mix a little of
the hare fur with yellow mohair, and draw a small quantity of it out of
the lump with the right hand, take the hook by the bend in your left,
lay the silk and hair over the end of the third finger, the hook being
held in, twist the silk and hair together and roll it finely to the
shoulder, give a running knot or two with the silk close to the hackle,
take care to have a little more of the fur next the shoulder to make the
body nicely tapered; you may continue to make the body from where you
rolled on the hackle first, and fasten at the tail, and roll the hackle
over it if the fly is to be of a long description; tail your fly, and
tip it with tinsel, and with two running knots finish opposite the barb,
at this point before you finish, wax your silk well, and touch with your
varnish pencil: if there are any fibres of the hackle or of the wing, or
the hair standing in a wrong direction, clip it off with your scissars,
and your fly is completed. You may tie on floss silk or peacock's harl
for the body the same as the mohair; and you can perceive that you may
finish at the tail or at the shoulder, according to fancy--do not lose
sight of this plan.
[Illustration: _An easy method of making a Salmon Fly._]
AN EASY METHOD OF MAKING A PLAIN SALMON FLY.
(_See Plate._)
Tie on the salmon hook to a length of twisted gut or loop (see the gut
and hook tied on in the Plate of Salmon Hook, No. 1) firmly with strong
marking silk well waxed, and lay on a little varnish; then take two
pieces of turkey tail feather of equal size, or mallard feather,
according to the colour of the wings you intend to make (see the turkey
tail and mallard wings prepared, in the plate of feathers), tie them on
the reverse way, a little longer than the bend of the hook where they
are turned up (see the wings tied on the reverse way, Plate VII., on
Salmon Hooks); these are tied on as the trout fly wings just described,
and when turned up appear like the wings of plate No. 1, in an easy
method of making a salmon fly--in this plate may be seen every thing
necessary in making a plain salmon fly--these flies will be found good
killers a great way up rivers from the sea. You hold the hook by the
bend, and tie in the hackle at the head of the fly by the root end, and
the tinsel to rib it in like manner (see the hackle tied on and the
tinsel, Plate II.); about the same place where the hackle is tied on,
tie three or four harls of the peacock's tail, twist them round the
tying silk, and roll it down to the tail, and fasten with a running knot
(see the body of Plate II.) the tying silk is now left hanging at the
tail, where may be seen a small portion of the harl left cut, to shew
where it was fastened; you roll the tinsel over the body to the same
place and tie, three turns of the tinsel is sufficient; you then take
the hackle by the end in your right hand, and roll it sideways in
rotation with the tinsel, twisting it in your finger and thumb as you
turn it over, to keep it slanting from the head, tie it in at the same
place with a running knot, and clip off the ends of the hackle; you may
tie in a short tail at this place, wax your silk, and finish with two or
three running knots, cut off the tying silk, and touch them with a
little varnish, to keep them from slipping--press down the hackle
between your fingers which slants it to the tail--as the hackle is run
over the body from the head to the tail of this fly, it will appear in
the formation of the body (Plate III., on Salmon Hooks); when the fly is
made with the hackle only struck round the shoulder, take two or three
turns of it under the wings, and tie it in there (see Plate III., in an
easy method of making a Salmon Fly). The body may be seen in this fly
with the tinsel rolled over it, and tied in at the tail; a piece of the
harl, tinsel and silk left to shew how it is done. The tinsel and harl
are cut off, and with the tying silk, which is seen hanging, tie on a
tail of topping, or mohair, feather of macaw, mallard, or any other to
suit the taste or colour of the fly; you may tie on an ostrich harl, or
peacock's harl, head like Plate I., where the tying silk may be seen
hanging: the three flies on this plate, which are correctly engraved,
will be found most valuable to the young beginner; and it is an expert
method for the salmon fisher, when in a hurry, to make a fly or two for
immediate use.
When you wish to mix plain wings without dividing, tie them on first at
the end of the shank, and form the head like No. 1 in this plate, which
I think is the neatest of any, and suits best in rivers not very full of
water. If you notice this plate correctly, it will be seen to correspond
with the shape of the natural dragon fly; and as this fly, of various
hues, is reared at the bottom of the water, it must be an alluring bait
for the salmon and large trout; for when it first leaves the element of
its birth, and proceeds to the banks of the river in a very feeble
state, directly it receives strength it commences skimming the surface,
preying upon the insects flying in the air at this time, and, when it
comes weakly out of the water, the fish, no doubt, take it freely.
There is another sort of fly that proceeds from the water, about the
size of the flies on this plate, the body of which is of the colour of
the blue feathers on the peacock's neck exactly, its legs are a dark
brown colour, almost black, hanging long, and few of them; the wings,
which stand upright on its back, or I may say, its head and shoulders,
for the head and wings at the roots, and legs spring all out of the one
lump which is very thick here in comparison to its beautiful slender
body of many joints; the wings, I say, are a bronze brown with a moon in
all the four like the peacock's tail feather, which in the artificial
fly would be just the colour mixed with a little drake feather; there
are some of them all brown, and some with bright green bodies, and blue
green as above; all these beautiful insects must afford food for the
fish. This of course accounts for the artificial representation in use,
and it cannot be denied that they take them for natural ones, which the
fly-fisher, according to fancy, forms most fantastically, varying on
most of the rivers.
[Illustration: The best method of making a Trout-fly]
TO MAKE THE TROUT FLY, IN THE BEST AND MOST APPROVED METHOD.
_(See Plate with Picker)._
The reader will lay out his materials before him on the table, which
consist of hook, gut, wings, hackle, feather for tail, body of fur,
floss silk, or peacock harl, silk to rib it, wax, tying silk, &c., all
things now ready, proceed as follows:--Wax a piece of fine China silk,
about a foot in length; if it is spool or ribbon silk, twist two pieces
together, and take one end between your teeth, twisting with your
fingers and thumbs, not too much; take the other end in the left, and
wax it up and down till it is covered with the wax all over; you may pin
it on your knee as in the first plan, and wax it; take the hook by the
bend in the left hand, say a No. 6 or 7 to begin with, placing your silk
just waxed on the shank under your left thumb nail, and give two or
three turns of the silk towards you, flatten the end of the gut a
little, and tie it on to the hook about half way down the shank, at the
same time hold the gut and hook tightly between your nails, and shift it
as you go up or down, on the hook shank with the tying silk; the hook
firmly tied on, take out one of the wing feathers of the hen pheasant,
and cut out of the centre of it two equal pieces to compose the wings,
(see the piece cut out for the trout fly wing in the plate of Feathers),
you lay these two pieces together even at the points, take them between
the nails of the right hand, place them on the end of the shank between
the finger and thumb of the left, and give two or three turns of the
silk over them tightly, winding the silk towards you, cut off the roots
of the feather slantingly with your scissars, as this swells the fly at
the shoulder when forming the body; the wings are now tied the reverse
way, (see No. 7 Plate, at the sign of the "picker.") The three flies at
top of this plate I will explain, when I show how the wings are turned
back in their place. You now turn the hook in your fingers and hold it
by the head, and of course you roll the tying silk from you; form the
tail, body, and hackle, while holding your hook by the shank shift it in
your hand till the nails are opposite the barb, where you tie on a tail
(see Plate VII) You now draw a little mohair or fur out of the piece
lying on the table, and lay it along the tying silk sparingly, twist it
round the silk, and roll it up to the shoulder, or nearly so, and give a
running knot; take a small hackle and cut it at the point (see hackle at
the bottom of this plate), or, instead of cutting it, draw it back a
little with the fingers, as you may see the grouse hackle prepared in
the plate of feathers, or hackle cut at point in the plate of feathers;
tie the hackle on at the centre of the body at the point where it is
cut, and give a running knot, and to fill up the space between that and
the shoulder, roll on a little more fur, and give a knot with the silk;
wax your silk occasionally, as it wears off; you now turn the hook round
in the fingers and hold it by the bend; this turning of the hook is the
most curious and convenient part of it; the hackle appears standing on
the fly, as in Plate II., or V. You take the hackle by the end in your
right hand, and roll it up to the shoulder in a slanting direction,
giving it an extra turn or two at the head, as you see Plate VII., tie
it down, and cut off the stem of the hackle; take the fly between your
finger and thumb, keeping the fibres of the hackle under them out of the
way while you turn up the wings; you now divide them in two with a
needle or "picker," turn up the off side one first and tie it down, then
the one next you, and turn the silk in and out between them, to keep
them asunder; you then draw all under your finger and thumb, and with
the tying silk, give two turns over the ends, which forms a head, and
finish on the small bit of hook left at the head, take a turn or two of
the silk round the gut to guard it, and take two running knots; the fly
now appears as Plate IV., press the fly between the fingers which slants
the hackle towards the tail.
As this is a valuable plate of flies to work upon, I will here commence
with Numbers 1, 2, 3, and then 5 and 4, these two latter flies are
bodies of gaudy sea-trout ones, or grilse flies. The wings are tied on
last of the three first flies--you hold the hook by the bend in the
left, and tie on the hook, gut, and tail, as you see in Plate I.; you
then place on a little mohair to form the body, as in Plate II.; before
you reach the shoulder you tie in the hackle, as No. 2, and leave a
little of the end of the hook to receive the wings, and let the silk
hang at the head; you now take the hackle by the end in your right, and
roll it slantingly on its side or partly on its back, placing the third
finger of the hand, the fly being held in against the hackle at each
roll till you come to the shoulder, take a turn of the silk over it cut
off the stem, and give a knot; let the silk hang at the place you are
about to tie on the wings, the fly now appears as Plate III., and in
this plate you may perceive the right length the hackle ought to be for
the size of the hook; you then cut off two pieces from the starling or
woodcock wings, and lay them together to make the wings of the fly full,
and to appear double when finished, or a piece of mallard feather, like
the wings of Plate IV.; you now hold the fly between the fore-finger and
thumb nails of the left hand, close to where you see the silk hanging
(Plate III.), tie on the off side wing first, holding tight by the nails
to keep it on the top of the shank so that it will not turn round with
the silk, wax your silk here, keep the middle finger of the left against
it while you take up the other wing, and tie it on in like manner on the
near side; this plan makes a division in the wings. You must endeavour
to keep them tight on the end of the shank, or they will fall over on
the gut, but by holding tight with the nails, and drawing tightly with
the tying silk, you may soon prevent mistakes, and use every thing
sparingly to prevent clumsiness or you will never get on. Now cut off
the ends of the wings closely, and finish with a turn or two, and a
running knot or two at the very head, and the fly will appear like the
finished fly, Plate IV., lay on a little spirit-varnish at the head,
which keeps it firm--(this varnish you may procure at the oil and colour
warehouses, or at doctor's shops, that which is used for rods is best.)
Now for the two Plates V. and VI.:--
When the hook and gut is neatly tied on, as Plate I., you take a hook,
size of the above two, and a hackle to suit; you hold the hook by the
bend in the left, and opposite the barb where you see the silk hanging
at No. 1, you take a piece of tinsel, tie it on, and give two or three
turns just immediately below where you tie in the tail (see the tip of
tinsel below the tail, Plate V.), take an ostrich harl and roll it on
for tag, which you will see just above the tip of tinsel, then tie on a
topping above that, as you may see, then the piece of tinsel to rib the
body, which you may see extending longer than the tail; you now take a
piece of floss silk, fine, and form the body of it from the tail to the
shoulder, as you see the taper body of Plate V., and during the interval
tie in the hackle on the centre of the body, at the point where the silk
is hanging to receive the wings; take the end of the hackle in your
right (first roll the tinsel as the body of Plate VI.) finger and thumb,
and roll it slantingly over the body in rotation with the tinsel, as you
see in this latter plate, and tie it down at the end of the shank, leave
the silk hanging as in this plate, touch it at this place with varnish;
you may wing it with turkey or "glede" (kite's) tail feather, mallard,
&c., like the plate of the plain fly, opposite No. 7, or like the wing
of the gaudy Irish salmon fly immediately under that number at the
bottom of the plate, (I mention these two flies in this manner to
distinguish them from the plate on Salmon Hooks). These two are models
of a plain, and gaudy Irish fly; the delicacy of the body of the gaudy
one, as the silk and tinsel is so finely wrought between each joint of
harl and hackles, is beyond compare; and the wing is finely mixed,
although not so perfect as the beautiful engravings of the twelve
salmon flies.
Before I begin the gaudy salmon fly, I will here show how the palmer is
made, in two or three ways.
[Illustration: TO MAKE THE PALMER OR DOUBLE HACKLEFLY.]
TO MAKE THE PALMER, OR DOUBLE-HACKLE FLY.
You tie on the hook firmly as before, and prepare two hackles for the
fly, as you may see in the plate of Feathers, two hackles tied together
at the roots, which keeps them on their sides evenly while rolling them
on; you hold the hook by the shank in your left hand, tie in the
hackles, the inside downwards, that when tied on and finished, the
outside of the feathers appears to the eye (see the hackle tied in at
the points, and the body and tinsel rolled on, at the bottom of the
plates of Trout Flies for the season); tie in the tinsel to the body,
and the peacock's harl, or mohair, or floss silk, to form it, at the
same place--turn the hook in your fingers, and hold it by the bend; take
the harls in your right hand, and roll them up to the head, or mohair,
or your floss silk in the same way; take a turn of the tying silk
over, with a running knot, clip off the ends of the harl, (leave a
little of the end of the shank of the hook bare to finish on, or you
will not be enabled to roll the two hackles neatly up to this place).
Next, roll the tinsel over the harl, and tie, slope it as you go up;
then take hold of the hackles in your right hand, and roll them over the
body close beside the tinsel slopingly, taking care at the same time to
keep the third or middle finger of the hand the fly is held in tight
against them at each turn, and roll them closer as you go up to the
shoulder, pull them tight here, and if there are any fibres left on the
stem of the hackle that are superfluous, pull them off, still keeping
your finger against them, and holding hard the hook; now take a roll or
two of the tying silk over them and the knots, give the stem another
pull to tighten them, and clip it off, tie down the head neatly with two
running knots, and varnish it; press the fly between your fingers to
slant the hackles downwards; and if any of the fibres of the hackles
stand the wrong way cut them off, although, if they are rolled evenly
together on their sides or back, you will turn the fly out correct,--see
the beautiful Palmer in the plate, with the hook tied in on the back,
which is a perfect model,--these hooks are tied together on the same
piece of gut first, and then make the fly over them. It is difficult to
perform this job until you know how to make a palmer on a single hook.
[Illustration: How to make the Salmon-Fly]
The foregoing is my favorite way of making a palmer, but you must be
proficient before you can manage it well. I will here show how it can be
made in a very easy manner, when you are able to handle the materials,
and tie on nicely. When you have the hook and gut neatly tied on, take
two hackles, and tie them in at the end of the shank by the roots on
their back, tie in the peacock harl and tinsel to rib it at the same
place; holding your hook of course by the bend in the left hand, take
hold of the two hackles in your pliers by the points, and when the
tinsel and body is rolled on, turn the hackles over the body close with
the tinsel on their backs slopingly, till you reach the tail; here let
go the pliers, and they will hang with the ends of the hackles still in
them, till you take two turns of the silk over them, clip off the ends
of the hackles, and tie it neatly with two running knots, lay on a
little varnish; the fly will look rather rough in this method when
finished, but with a little pain you will soon accomplish it; press down
the fibres with your fingers, and cut away the superfluities. You should
have a palmer ready made before you always while making this fly, which
will facilitate you in your progress.
When you find it difficult to place on the hackles first while you are
making a fly, pull off one side of the fibres, and lay two evenly
together, and draw them back at the points where you tie them in, as the
hackle in the plate of Feathers, and roll them always slopingly over the
body to the shoulder, on their edge with the outside of them next the
head; and, according as you come up to the end of the shank, roll them
closer, which makes the fly appear full there, press them well down with
your fingers, (see the three-hackle, or Palmer Flies for Trout, 7, 8,
and 9). The hackles of these three flies are beautifully struck.
HOW TO MAKE THE SALMON FLY, AS SHOWN IN THE BEAUTIFUL PLATE OF
ENGRAVINGS ON SALMON HOOKS.
Reader, you will have an idea of the sorts of materials you require for
the different processes on each hook in the plates, as the models were
tied by me in strict proportion, and are most exquisite engravings: You
take a piece of twisted gut to form the loop on the fly, double it over
a needle, or "picker," to form an eye, and pare off the ends slantingly
to lie nice and even when tied, as you may see in Plate I. on Salmon
Hooks; wind your waxed silk round the shank of the hook about four or
five times, before placing on the gut; hold the hook in the left hand
near the end of the shank, lay the gut-loop underneath, and hold on
between your finger and thumb tightly, to prevent it turning round when
you lap the tying silk over it, and keep shifting your fingers down the
shank out of the way of the tying silk in its progress to the tail,
which you will see in Plate I. You now draw out a small piece of yellow,
or red mohair, keep it tight between the nails and tie it on, first tip
the fly immediately under the tail, as in Plate I.; you make it even
with your scissars at the point, as that tail is seen; you now take a
piece of yellow or orange floss silk, and lap it from the tail about
two-eighths of an inch up to where you see the hackle and tinsel tied
in, Plate II.; after having tied the hackle and tinsel on as you see it
there, (you may draw the point of the hackle back, as the hackle
prepared in the plate of Feathers, instead of cutting it at the point,
as you may see also the hackle cut, in the plate of Feathers). You now
shift your finger and thumb up the body a little, and just where you
finished the knot over the floss silk twist a little pig hair round the
tying silk sparingly, and roll it over the shank to the head, or within
the eighth of an inch of the head, as you may see in Plate II.; you now
take the two pieces of tinsel in the right hand and roll them up
slopingly to where the silk is hanging, Plate II., and whip it down; you
next take the stem of the hackle in the right hand, and roll it evenly
beside the tinsel on its side, or partly on its back (this is done by
giving the stem a gentle twist in your fingers) till you bring it to the
head where there may be two or three extra rolls of it given to make it
full at the shoulder, or where you tie on the wings, (see the hackle,
beautifully rolled on from tail to shoulder, Plate III). You now take a
piece of mallard feather, stripped off with your nails, and press it
small at the end of the roots where it is to be tied on, (see the
Mallard Wing prepared in the plate of Feathers); you strip another piece
like it, and lay them even together; you take the other two pieces in
like manner and do the same, so that each wing, when tied on, will be
double; you now take the fly, Plate III., in your hand between the nails
close to the shoulder, and wax well the piece of silk that hangs here;
you take up one wing and lay it on at the off side, and give two whips
of the silk over it tightly, holding on at the shoulder well with the
left hand, to keep the wing from turning round under the belly; you now
take up the near side wing, and lay it on in like manner, whipping it
twice over, and then a running knot, (see the Mallard Wings, tied
beautifully on, Plate IV.); and in that plate you see the root ends
projecting over the loop, cut them off, and finish it with three or four
turns of the silk, and two knots, close to the root of the wings to make
all even.
I will now proceed to show how the other three flies are formed--5, 6,
and 7.
These may be termed middling gaudy, and are famous for the rivers in the
north of Scotland, or the clear waters of Ireland. You perform the
operation of tying on the hook as Plate I; tip the fly at the tail, and
tie on a topping; take a piece of black ostrich or peacock harl, tie it
in at the roots, and roll it evenly over the shank two or three times
(see the harl tag, Plate V); tie in the hackle above the ostrich tag,
leave it hanging, and roll the twist up the body, previously formed of
floss silk nicely tapered (see the Body of Plate V); take the hackle in
the right hand, and roll it evenly with the tinsel, and fasten it as
Plate VI; leave the silk hanging here to tie on the wings and the head.
The wings of Plate VII, may be seen tied on the reverse way, and the
body and hackle formed afterwards; they are now ready to turn back in
their proper place to hang over the body, this is done by turning them
neatly up with the thumb nail of the right hand, and laying them evenly
on each side of the fly, with the best side of the feather out. The
spots and shades which are perceivable in the wings and hackles of all
the engraved specimens of fly, are shown to great perfection--I have
described the whole of them, to match the shades exactly, so that it is
impossible to go astray when tying on each fibre of feather.
We will now return to Plate VI, and teach how it is to be winged--You
cut off a strip from the turkey tail feather, which must be unbroken, as
a whole wing; after measuring the proper length of it for the hook, you
draw each piece small with the nails where it is to be tied on, as the
strip is broader at the root, so that, take it on the whole, it must be
narrow where this piece of feather is made small at the roots, as seen
in the plate of Feathers, to keep it so whole, touch it with a little
varnish, and let it dry a little on the table.
You take hold of the fly in your left hand, close to the head, draw the
fibres of the hackle out of the way by placing them under your fingers;
take the wing in your right hand and lay it on, catching it between the
left finger and thumb on the top of the hook tightly, and give two rolls
of the tying silk over it; take up the other wing, like the last, and
lay it on the near side, and lap the silk over it in like manner (renew
the silk with wax before the wings are tied on); you now may tie on a
few fibres of golden pheasant neck, and tail feathers at each side of
the wings just put on, and a piece of macaw feather at each side; head
it with ostrich, or roll a little pig hair round the silk sparingly, lap
it over twice, and finish by giving two running knots over it close to
the root of the wings (see the wing of the middling plain Salmon Fly,
Plate II, immediately above the Sea-Trout Fly and May Fly.)
The reader will perceive in this plate ON SALMON HOOKS, that I have just
described a garden, as it were fully cultivated, there is hardly a space
left waste, like the broad fields of industrious England, whose sons
"never, never shall be slaves." All the other plates are likewise full
of useful matter, which will prove my hard labour, and at the same time
show that I have hid nothing from the Fly-Fisher in all the processes.
If the fly (Plate V., ON SALMON HOOKS) is winged with feathers, like the
Irish gaudy wing, prepared in the plate of Feathers, it will be found to
approach near the gaudy fly at the bottom of the plate, with "picker" at
top.
I will now describe the process of making the Gaudy Salmon Fly, the
plate of which is invaluable to the Salmon fisher:--
[Illustration: _Process of making the Gaudy Salmon-fly_]
PROCESS OF MAKING THE GAUDY SALMON FLY.
(_See Plate._)
You commence by tying the hook and gut firmly together, and that it may
be more easy and convenient to the reader to accomplish this process of
making the Gaudy Salmon Fly, I will tell how it is done in my own
favourite way.--Take the hook in the left hand and hold by the shank
immediately opposite the barb, here fasten on a piece of fine tying
silk, finer than you tied the hook and gut on with, tie on a piece of
tinsel, and roll it over the hook three or four times to tip the fly;
place the nail of the left thumb on it, and tie with one knot (see the
tip on the first fly in the plate, just below the ostrich tag); take a
middling size golden pheasant topping, and tie it on just below the
ostrich tag with a piece of tinsel, about a finger length, to rib the
body (see the tinsel); take a hackle to suit the size of the hook, draw
it a little back from the point, that is the fibres (see the hackle
ready to tie in at tail in the first fly); take a fibre of ostrich, tie
it on, and give two or three rolls of it from you, and as you turn it
over keep the soft pile of the feather towards the tail, as this will
make the tag appear even, and give a running knot, the less knots the
better at this point to prevent clumsiness; now take a piece of pig
hair, and twist it round the tying silk (see the pig hair round the
silk, and the hackle tied on just above it), roll the pig hair over the
body, giving it a turn or two between the ostrich tag and the hackle,
that when the hackle is struck it may appear from the centre of the fly
to the shoulder; the pig hair is now on, roll the tinsel over it
slopingly till you come within the eighth of an inch of the loop; take
hold of the end of the hackle in the right hand, and roll it up on its
edge, or partly on its back, in rotation with the tinsel, and tie it
down with two knots, clip off the end of the hackle and tinsel.
If the fly is to be made with the hackle struck only round the shoulder
(see hackle tied in at shoulder, on the second fly in this plate. I have
not numbered the three flies on this plate, to distinguish it from the
plate of AN EASY METHOD OF MAKING A SALMON FLY.) See pig hair body and
tinsel rolled on; shift your hand up the hook in the left, and hold by
the middle, take the hackle in the right, and roll it from you closely
round the shoulder, (see hackle tied in at shoulder), leaving at the
same time enough of the hook bare at the end of the shank to tie on the
wings, and to roll on the jay feather (see jay hackle ready), the hackle
supposed to be rolled round the shoulder, cut off the tinsel and pig
hair which you see on the piece of silk, leaving another piece attached
in the same place to tie on the wings (see the piece of tinsel and pig
hair left at the head ready to be cut off, and the silk hanging to tie
on the wings--second fly).
The first fly, which we made above, is now no other in appearance than
the third fly at the bottom of the plate, which shows hook, body, and
tinsel. We now come to the most critical part of tying on the gaudy
wings firmly, (see mixed gaudy wing ready to tie on). You take a
neck-feather of the golden pheasant with a piece of silver pheasant
tail, a piece of peacock wing, a teal feather, and a piece of wood-duck,
&c., lay them all evenly together, and break the fibres between your
nails, when you tie them on the hook to make the whole small, as you may
see done at the root of the wing in the plate; take another golden
pheasant neck feather, and prepare it exactly like the last, that the
wing may be the same at each side when tied on; you now take hold of the
fly in the left, the fibres of the hackle remaining under your finger
and thumb, cut away the bit of tinsel and hackle-stem first, take the
wing in your right, and lay it on the best side next you, and hold it
tight with the left finger and thumb nails; give two laps of the silk
over it, press it down tightly with the thumb nail, and take another
turn of the silk, place the third finger against it to keep it on, till
you lay on the off side wing; take it up as you did the other, and tie
it down at the small part of the end, on the off side, hold it tight
between the left finger and thumb, pressing it at the same time well
down with the thumb nail of the right, take two rolls of the silk firmly
over it, hold on manfully with the left, and give it another nail or two
with the right thumb, make a running knot, lay it down awhile to rest
your fingers; clip off the roots left hanging or projecting at the head
closely (be careful always to leave enough of the hook bare to receive
the wings, or you cannot manage it easily), now take two or three turns
more over the head to make it tighter and even, leaving a little bit of
the point to stand out; you then take a strip of macaw, and tie it on
each side, clip off the ends, take an ostrich harl and tie it on about
the centre of the head, and roll it over from you two or three times,
the downy part of the stem next the loop to keep it all the one way, and
when up to the root of the wings, take the silk which hangs here lap it
twice over, and give a running knot; clip off the silk and end of the
harl, lay on a little varnish very lightly at the point, and where the
silk has been just tied down, keep the varnish off the ostrich harl; you
may take a little pig hair, and twist it round the silk, roll it over
the head very sparingly, and finish at the root of the wings in the same
manner, laying on a little varnish.
[Illustration: The plate of Feathers]
I will here repeat the tying on of the gaudy wing, with two or three
fibres of various sorts of feathers, &c., which may be a little more
easy to accomplish than the foregoing to the young beginner.
When you have the tail, tinsel, and hackle put together on the hook, and
the eighth of an inch of the shank left bare to receive the wings;
wax the silk well that it may make the head firm, and proceed
thus.--First strip off two fibres of the peacock's wing feather, and
place them with three or four fibres of brown mallard, and the same
quantity of spotted turkey tail, add to it a piece of neck and tail
feather of the golden pheasant, with a little guinea hen, teal, and red
macaw feather, yellow, orange, and blue. Keep these all even together,
and break them at the roots like the gaudy wing in the last plate, and
divide them in equal parts; now having mixed both your wings alike, take
up one wing in your right fore-finger and thumb nails and hold it
tightly, take up your fly with the left hand, and with the right hand
place the wing on at the off side, laying it under the fore-finger of
the left hand, and with the right hand give two turns of the tying silk
over it, at the same time holding on tight between the nails of the left
hand, and press it down with the thumb nail of the right, which keeps
the head firm; then in like manner take up the other wing and place it
on the near side, keep the wings the same length, and to extend two
eighths of an inch longer than the bend of the hook, having taken two
laps over the near side wing, cut off the root ends at the head closely,
holding tight with the left-hand nails, and press both wings down
tightly with the right thumb nail; wax the silk well here, and lap it
over the part where you cut off the ends evenly; bring the silk down on
the gut and give three or four rolls of it just below the point of the
shank to guard it from friction when throwing the fly; bring the silk up
again close to the root of the wings, and tie on a fibre of blue and
yellow macaw tail feather for horns, let them be the eighth of an inch
longer than the wings, clip off the ends; take a jay feather and prepare
it, tie it on at the off side of the head with the bare side next the
belly of the fly, roll it with the right hand over the head, about three
turns, and lap the silk over it while under the nail of the left; cut
off the stem, lay on a blue kingfisher feather each side, tie on a black
ostrich harl, give three or four rolls of it over the head, letting the
stem be next to the root of the wings as you roll it, take it under the
nail of the left thumb, and lap two turns of the silk over it close to
the root of the wings, and with the finger and thumb press up the
fibres of the ostrich towards the wings, to make it stand even in its
proper place; cut off the silk, and lay on a little varnish at the point
of the head, and your fly is completed.
As it is my intention to instruct the reader in every point necessary
for his benefit, according to my own knowledge and experience,
throughout the pages of this book, it affords me much pleasure to be
enabled to do so, and to offer something to the fly-fisher worth having,
there is scarcely a page he opens that he will not find something
valuable to himself, if he is a real lover of the art. "There is a
pleasure in angling that no one knows but the angler himself."
I will now show how the India-rubber Green Drake is made, with a
cock-tail, like the beautiful engraving in the plate, (see Green Drake).
The Grouse, and Golden Plover hackle may also be made in a similar
manner, to suit fine evenings in the summer, without the tail.
To compose the fly, take a piece of gold tinsel, and cut a long strip of
light india-rubber very thin, hackle, wings, tail, and all laid down
ready,--tie the gut on the top of the hook, to project about
three-sixteenths of an inch below the bend, or tie the gut underneath in
the usual way, and lay a piece of gut on the top somewhat thicker, to
work the tail upon, (see the tail in the engraving,--look often at the
flies to refresh the memory); take three hairs of the mane of a black
horse, and tie them on the end of the piece of gut, about an inch in
length, let the silk be fine and well waxed, then tie in the end of the
gold tinsel, and the finest end of the piece of india-rubber at the
tail, that the thick end may be towards the shoulder to make it taper;
after the body is made very even with a little yellow floss silk, hold
the fly by the shank in the left hand, with the nails in close contact
with each other, and roll the tinsel closely up, shifting your hand;
this fastened down with the tying silk, take hold of the india-rubber in
the right, and the extreme end of the gut tail in your left nails; warm
the rubber a little in the fingers to soften it, draw it out to its full
extent, and roll it over the end of the gut, and at every roll keep the
third finger of the left hand tight against it to prevent it starting,
move the nails up the hook as you proceed with the rubber to the
shoulder; give two laps of the tying silk over it, and a running knot.
The body now formed, take a very light brown grouse hackle (see the
grouse hackle prepared in the plate of Feathers,--the partridge and the
plover hackles are prepared in the same way, and all feathers of this
shape for the throat, you may either draw them back at the end, or cut
them like the wren tail feather), and tie it on at the shoulder, roll it
about three times over on its back, keeping the fibres down towards the
left under the fingers, tie the stem with a running knot, and do not
give too many laps of the tying silk at the head to make it bulky, for
it occasions the wings to turn round on the hook, as then there is no
foundation for them, but when they are tied hard on the hook, they sit
firm--you can not wing it neatly otherwise; to prevent a vacancy at the
shoulder, lay on a little yellow-green mohair to fill it up, and roll
the hackle over it, you may now guard the gut with the silk before you
tie on the wings, do not allow the body of the fly to come too close up
to the head, or as I said before, you cannot tie on the wings properly.
Now take the dyed mallard feather for the wings, strip two pieces off,
and lay them together for one wing, and two pieces for the other wing
in like manner; hold the body by the left close to the head, and lay on
the off side wing first, hold it tight under the nails of the left, and
take a turn or two of the silk tightly over it, take up the other wing
and lay it on, catching it under the nails of the left, taking two turns
more over it in the same way, and press it tight down with the nails of
the right thumb, give another turn or two of the silk, press back the
roots of the wings with the thumb nail of the right, cut them close off,
roll the silk evenly over it, and give two knots, now take a peacock's
harl, tie it in by the root end, and roll it over the head two or three
times towards the wing, and tie it firmly here with two knots of the
tying silk, cut off silk and harl, lay on a little varnish, and your fly
is completed; press up the head to make it look even, cut off all
superfluous fibres that may stand uneven, so that all will appear like
the plate.
There is another excellent way of making a body:--thus, take a piece or
length of very flat gut, and soak it well in hot water till it becomes
soft, tie it in at the end of the tail as you did the india-rubber,
form a body nicely tapered of straw, roll some white floss silk over it
at intervals, roll the soft gut closely over it to the head and tie it
fast; then put a small partridge hackle round the throat, and wing it
the same as before. Before you lay on the straw, cut it taper to suit
the size of hook you are using, gold-beater's skin rolled over flat gold
tinsel is also good.
I will here teach the making of the beautiful WINGED LARVA, specimens of
which are shown in the plate with the May Fly. There is nothing can
exceed the beauty of these flies, and as artificial specimens for
killing fish during easterly winds they are invaluable.
It was in a strong east wind which lasted some weeks, five or six years
ago, that I had such great success with this sort of fly in the river
Tweed; grilse, sea-trout, and river-trout took it greedily. The two
engravings in the plate of these flies are very beautiful. It would be a
general killer in heavy running rivers under trees, or in rapid
streams.
[Illustration: TO MAKE THE WINGED LARVA.]
TO MAKE THE WINGED LARVA.
Tie on the hook and gut as before (say a hook about No. 8) and form a
brown body of mohair on it, wing the fly with a portion of hen pheasant
tail feather and woodcock wing; having the yellow brown body formed on
the hook, and the wings ready to tie on, take a piece of the shrivelled
larva you will find attached to the ends of the lengths of salmon gut,
choose those that are nice and taper, and at the fine end tie on two
fibres of golden pheasant neck feather for tail, clip off the end of the
gut, lay on a little varnish at the end of the tail to keep it from
coming off; now tie on the larva close to the shoulder, cut off the end
of the gut, lay on a little varnish there, take some mohair of the same
colour as the body, and roll it over the throat to cover the tying,
leaving at the same time enough of the hook to receive the wings, you
then take a light brown grouse hackle, off the neck of the bird, and
roll it twice round the shoulder for the legs, or a woodcock feather, to
be found at the root of the wings, outside, the latter I think is
best. Now tie the wings on a little longer than the bend of the hook,
clip off the ends at the head, and form a head with a piece of peacock
harl, of a bronze colour as usual, fasten with the silk, and cut off all
the superfluities. It would be well to draw out a little of the mohair
at the shoulder to hang over the larva body, and to flatten the end of
the gut a little where you tie on the tail, which keeps it on. Tie the
larva at the side, so as it may appear like a double body to the fish in
the water. It may be made by tying on the wings first, and let them
remain until the body, the larva, and the hackle, are all tied in their
proper places, and then turn back the wings over the body with your
thumb nail, and tie them firmly down with the silk, taking two laps over
the roots, and finish with two knots on the end of the shank immediately
above the head.
Do not neglect to tie in the larva tightly below the wings at the
shoulder, to prevent it drawing out from the mohair body. You must hold
on tight and press it well down with the nail of the right thumb, as you
do the wings when tying them on last. It is best to look at the larvas
engraved in the plate occasionally, to give you an idea how it is done.
When the wings are turned up last, and a head formed of the root of them
with the tying silk, you next roll on a piece of brown peacock harl at
the root of the wings, a harl with long pile or fibres is best, as you
can press it up with your fingers to hang over the root of the wings.
The great nicety in making this fly to look well is, in tying on the two
fibres of the golden pheasant feathers at the tail with fine silk, and
the tying on of the larva itself at the shoulder of the fly, and then
covering the silk that appeared bare with a little mohair twisted round
the tying silk, and then rolled over it; it is over this bit of mohair
the hackle should be rolled, and secured with two knots.
The wing of the small larva in the plate is tied on last, and a most
curious and killing looking fly it is; the other one does best in deep
water, or for grilse or sea-trout in July and August, particularly in
the latter month.
The Salmon Fly, No. 11, in the centre of the plate, with the larvas, is
a capital specimen for the light streams north of the Tweed, and would
kill well in that splendid river at low water in summer, particularly
at the "Throughs," three miles above the town of Kelso.
The above fly I will describe hereafter, with the other engravings in
the plates.
To proceed regularly with the various methods of Fly Making, before
touching on another subject, will be much more convenient to the tyro as
he proceeds, so I will finish this branch of an "Angler's Education"
with a Catechism, which will be found instructive and very curious to
the beginner. It is accompanied with a copper-plate engraving of six
flies, showing the whole process to the eye, which cannot fail to give a
lasting idea to the fly maker who will properly study it.
In this last process, the reader should lay out every thing necessary
for making a single fly in a piece of folded paper, so that he can look
at the various articles as he rehearses them over in the book,--this
will keep them more strongly in his mind.
Have each article to suit the size of the hook exactly, that when the
fly is completed, it will appear in strict proportion: for instance, the
hackle should be chosen small to suit the legs of the trout fly, and the
large flies to have hackles off the saddle of the cock, that are old
and stiff, to withstand the motion of the water; and fine silk, both
floss and tying for the bodies of the small flies, and every thing in
unison, as you read in the book; handling every thing sparingly,
delicately, and nicely in the fingers. There is a good deal of the
"battle fought" by letting the nails grow to a pretty fair length so as
to hold on grimly.
A CATECHISM OF FLY-MAKING,
BY WILLIAM BLACKER
_Question._--What do you mean by Fly-making?
_Answer._--I mean the artificial assimilation of those beautiful insects
that appear on brooks and rivers during the summer season.
_Q._--What are these artificial flies used for in general?
_A._--They are principally used to afford gentlemen rural amusement and
recreation, by their taking both trout and salmon with the rod, line,
and fly.
_Q._--Name the different materials requisite for making the Artificial
Fly.
[Illustration: _To make the Trout-fly as taught in the_ CATHECHISM.]
_A._--The necessary materials for making the Artificial Fly are as
follows:--various kinds of feathers, furs, mohair, pig hair, dyed
hackles, silks, tinsel, &c., &c.
_Q._--When the tyro has all the materials prepared, and seated at the
table, how does he commence to make the fly?
_A._--First, the hook is firmly tied on the gut, and one eighth of an
inch of the end of the shank left bare to receive the wings (see plate,
hook, gut, and tail, tied on).
_Q._--How are the wings tied on?
_A._--They may be tied on the reverse way first, at the extreme end of
the shank, and after the tail, body, and legs are formed, turn up the
wings, divide and tie them down, and form the head.
_Q._--Is there any other way of placing on the wings of a trout fly?
_A._--Yes, by forming the tail, body, and legs first, and tie on the
wings last.
_Q._--Having the wings the reverse way, to appear in strict proportion
over the fly when turned, what is the next part to be performed?
_A._--Next, I take hold of the shank opposite the barb in my left, and
here tie on a short piece of tinsel for the tip, roll it over two or
three times evenly, and secure it with a running knot, immediately above
this tie on the tail.
_Q._--When the wings are tied on reversed, the tip and tail secured, how
do you form the body?
_A._--I take hold of the hook in my left hand close to the tail, and
with my right draw out a small quantity of mohair, twist it round the
tying silk close to the hook, draw it gradually full under the fingers
to taper it, I then roll it closely over the shank to the root of the
wings and fasten it. Leave a vacancy to receive the hackle if rolled on
at the shoulder.
_Q._--If there is not sufficient mohair twisted on the silk to form the
whole body, what must be done?
_A._--When the mohair on the silk becomes short, I tie it down on the
centre of the shank, and tie in the point of the hackle here (see the
second and third flies in the plate of this process), and apply a little
more stuff to fill the shoulder, leaving a little of the hook to receive
the wings.
_Q._--Having tied the hackle on towards the shoulder of the fly, how do
you strike it in its proper place?
_A._--I hold the hook in my left hand by the bend, and with the right
take hold of the stem of the hackle and roll it round the shank on its
back, and tie it down (the fly may be ribbed and hackled from the tail
like the fourth fly in the plate).
_Q._--The hackle, body, tail, and tinsel now neatly tied, how do you tie
on the wings?
_A._--I now hold the fly in my left hand by the body, drawing the fibres
underneath my finger and thumb out of the way, lay on the wings double,
catch them under the nails of the left and give two laps of the tying
silk over them, press them down at this place with the right nail divide
and let the fibres of the hackle spring up between them, cut off the
roots, lap the silk closely over the head and fasten with two knots (see
the cock tail at the bottom of this plate).
_Note._--The wings of this fly were tied on first,
as seen, and turned up last; the fuller the fly is
at the shoulder the more the wings will stand
upright on the back, and it often occurs that
when the wings of the fly lie flat on the back,
and it happens to be an end fly on the casting
line, which is usually under the surface of the
water, that the fish takes it for a drowned fly
eagerly, and the wings much longer than the bend
of the hook, this is not unnatural, as the wings
of numbers of the brown and olive flies seen on
the water have their wings much longer than the
body, and when not on the wing lie flat on their
backs.
I will here give a more easy way of making a Trout fly.
_Q._--How do you commence to make the Fly in this way?
_A._--I tie on the wings first, turn them up, tie down the head, and
finish the fly at the tail.
_Q._--When the wings are tied on first, and turned before you commence
the body and legs, how do you proceed?
_A._--I take a small hackle to suit the size of the hook, strip off the
flue, and tie it on by the root at the head, and a piece of tinsel to
rib the body.
_Q._--Having tied on the hackle thus, what is the next thing to be
done?
_A._--I draw out a little mohair, twist it tightly round the tying silk,
roll it down to the tail and fasten it, and roll the tinsel over in like
manner.
_Q._--The body and tinsel being formed, how is the hackle struck on?
_A._--I take hold of the hackle in my right hand with either my fingers
or pliers, and roll it over the body to the tail, fasten and cut off the
ends, tie in a tail and the fly is complete. This is the style of the
fifth fly in the plate.
_Q._--When a fly is to be made in the above way without wings, called a
hackle fly, how is it done?
_A._--Having previously tied, I take two hackles of equal size, lay them
even together, and tie them on by the roots at the end of the shank, and
then the piece of tinsel to rib it.
_Q._--How do you form the body and tinsel after tying on the hackles?
_A._--I twist a very small quantity of mohair round the silk and roll it
to the tail, or a peacock's harl, and fasten it there, over this I roll
the tinsel.
_Q._--As the hackles are a nice point to perform, how are they struck?
_A._--I take hold of the hackles with the pliers at the points, both to
stand the one way, give two rolls round the shoulder to make it full,
and proceed with them slantingly on their backs to the tail, let the
pliers hang with them and roll the tying silk twice over them, cut off
the superfluous fibres of the hackles, take two running knots, and lay
on a little varnish to harden the tying, press down the hackles with the
fingers to slope them towards the tail, and the fly is completed.
_Q._--When you wish to make a larger Salmon Fly, how do you undertake
it?
_A._--I tie on the hook and gut firmly together, as in Plate I, ON
SALMON HOOKS, take hold of it by the shank opposite the barb, roll on a
piece of broad tinsel to tip it, tie on a topping for tail, with a black
ostrich tag.
_Q._--Having gone thus far, how do you manage the pig hair body?
_A._--Having laid before me two or three colours of pig hair, I roll a
piece of fine floss silk on first next the tail, I then twist a piece of
pig hair on the silk, roll it up towards the head, shifting up a little
and tie, take another piece of hair, and another, and do in like manner
(see the pig hair body of No. 2, ON SALMON HOOKS).
_Q._--How is the hackle struck on over the body?
_A._-Having held the fly by the shank to form the body, I now turn it
and hold it by the bend, the hackle and tinsel previously tied in, as in
Plate II, ON SALMON HOOKS, I roll the tinsel up first and the hackle
next in rotation with it; Plate V. will show the tinsel rolled over the
floss silk body, and the hackle ready to roll on.
_Q._--Having rolled on the hackle, and turned a jay hackle over the
shoulder, how do you proceed with the wing?
_A._--I take two golden pheasant neck feathers and tie them on tightly
first, then sprig them at each side with various fibres of feathers (see
the wing in the plate prepared).
_Q._--How do you cover the lump occasioned by the quantity of tying silk
at the head?
_A._--I draw out a small quantity of pig hair, twist it on the tying
silk, and roll it over two or three times towards the root of the wings
tightly, give three knots, lay on a little varnish, cut off the silk,
and the fly is finished.
_Note._--If you make a pike fly, use large double hooks and gymp, with
broad tinsel, and make the body full with pig hair, large saddlecock
hackles for legs, wing them with peacock moon feathers, and add two
large blue beads over spangles for eyes, and green or red pig hair
towards the head. Fasten on the beads with fine copper wire, rolling it
over the head two or three times, and also three times through the eyes,
and tie down the wire tightly with the silk; roll the pig hair round the
silk and then over the head and between the beads, fasten it with three
knots, and lay on the varnish.
These large artificial flies kill pike or jack best on windy days with
rain; they will not rise at the fly on fine days, except there is a
strong ripple on the water. You humour the fly on the surface as you
would move a salmon one, using a strong rod, reel, and line. If he is a
large fish, he will rush off with the fly when hooked; but, if a small
one, lift him out when he makes a double quick shake on the top of the
water. I would advise the fisher to strike a jack quickly, for he often
throws the fly out of his mouth when he finds the deception.
THE TROUT FLIES FOR THE SEASON.
I will now give a description of those flies which will be found most
killing, as they are imitations of the natural ones that appear in each
month, so that the fly-fisher may practice with them to very great
advantage.
The numbers of each correspond with the engravings in the plates of the
catalogue of flies.
THE TROUT is a game and sportive fish, and affords much amusement to the
fly-fishers, as well as being generally esteemed the best of our
fresh-water fishes for the table. The spawning time of the trout is much
the same as that of the salmon, about October and November, and their
haunts very similar; they fix upon some gravelly bottom to deposit their
spawn, in either river or lake, and are never good when big with roe.
After they have spawned they become lean and wasted, and their beautiful
spots disappear; in this state they retire to the deep and still parts
of the river during the winter months. As soon as the weather becomes
open in February, they begin to leave the deeps and approach the rapid
streams, where they soon obtain vigour for the summer sport. They
delight in sandy and rocky beds and pools, into which sharp and swift
streams run, and under shady banks, behind large stones and in eddies;
in streams where there are sedges and weeds in the spring of the year.
In the summer months they get strange, and haunt the deepest parts of
swift running streams; they are found also at the upper ends of
mill-pools and weirs, under bridges, and in the return of streams where
the water boils in deep places. At the decline of the year they resort
to the tails of streams and deep water.
They are in season from February till the end of September.
These few suggestions may benefit the young angler by giving him an idea
of knowing where to cast his flies for them.
[Illustration: Plate of 15 Trout-flies.]
FLIES FOR MARCH.
No. 1. THE MARCH BROWN.--The body is made of light brown mohair, mixed
with a little fur of the hare's neck, and a little yellow mohair, ribbed
with yellow silk; a small brown partridge hackle for legs (this feather
is found on the back of the partridge), hen pheasant wing feather for
the wings, and two fibres of the same bird's tail feather for the tail
of the fly. No. 8 hook. This fly is well taken by the trout, and
continues good till the end of April. The following flies appear before
the March brown, but it being a great favorite, I have given it first.
No. 2. THE EARLY DARK DUN.--The body is made of water-rat's fur, mixed
with a little red mohair, the red more towards the head, an iron-blue
dun hackle for legs, and the wings of water-hen or water-rail wing. No.
9 hook.
There is another variety or two of this fly that kill well in February
and March, which are as follows: A black red hackle, with the above
wings and body; a mallard wing, and the above body; a peacock harl
body, a soot-coloured dun hackle, and a tip of gold. No. 10 hook.
There is a small fly, which I term the "heath fly," which is an
excellent one in this month, and is made thus: The body is made of the
fine fur of the belly of the hedgehog, or rat back fur (common rat),
mixed with red squirrel fur, and a little orange mohair, rolled on thin
and taper; a small silver grey hackle for legs, and winged with the grey
tail feather of the partridge. A grey mallard and red squirrel fur makes
another good fly. No. 10 hook.
No. 3. THE LITTLE BLUE DUN.--The body is made of mole's fur, slightly
mixed with bright yellow mohair, a light blue dun hackle for legs, and
starling wings. No. 12 hook. This delicate little fly appears on cold
days in March, and is well taken by the trout from ten till four in the
evening, with the little red dun.
No. 4. THE ORANGE DUN.--The body is made of orange and hare's fur, a
honey dun hackle for legs, and grey mallard wings. No. 10 hook. Good on
windy days in this month and the next. There should be but little
hackle used on small flies in the early season, as the fur is sufficient
or nearly so.
No. 5. THE MARLOW BUZZ.--The body is made of peacock harl, a dun hackle
over it from the tail, and two dark red ones round the shoulder, rib of
silver. This fly does best where there are large trees growing over the
river banks.
No. 6. THE BROWN HACKLE.--The body is made of yellow brown mohair, a
little orange fox fur, and two short fibred brown-red hackles rolled
from the tail over the body, and ribbed with gold wire for evening
fishing. It will be found a good one for large trout in river or lake,
winged with hen pheasant tail, and forked with two fibres of the same
feather, hook No. 10 for the small fly, and No. 6 for the larger size.
There is also a small red fly comes on in this month, very killing; the
body is made of red squirrel's fur, a turn of a red hackle round the
throat, and grey mallard wings mixed with partridge; hook No. 8.
FLIES FOR APRIL.
No. 7. THE SOLDIER FLY.--The body is made of scarlet-colored mohair,
ribbed with fine gold twist, and two black-red cock hackles run up over
the body from the tail, (it is made also with orange floss silk body,
ribbed with black silk), a small furnace hackle round the throat and a
darkish starling wing. The dark red furnace hackle has a dark mark round
the edges.
It may also be made to advantage with peacock harl and black-red hackles
over it, and tipped with gold. The latter way makes it the "cochybonddu"
of Wales. It kills best on windy days in general, with the cow-dung fly,
and partridge hackle.
No. 8. THE CUCKOO HACKLE.--The body is made of peacock's harl, and two
dark dun hackles, with darkish bars across them, rolled up to the
throat; give it a tag of yellow green silk, at the end of the tail,
silver.
The Granam fly may be made thus:--The wings are made of hen pheasant
wing feather, hare's ear fur for body, and a grizzled cock hackle for
legs. It is a four-winged fly, and when it flutters on the water it is
very much like the engraving in the plate; but when it sails down the
surface, the wings lie flat on its back, and as soon as it touches the
water it drops its eggs; the trout take it freely for about a week in
this month, with the gravel or spider fly,--dun body, black hackle, and
woodcock wings; some use lead-coloured body.
No. 9. THE BLACK PALMER, OR HACKLE.--The body is made of yellow floss
silk, ribbed with silver tinsel, and two short fibred black hackles
struck on from the tail to the shoulder. Hook No. 8.--Vary the body of
this fly with peacock harl without the silver, and it will be a capital
one for light clear water on No. 12 hook. Use the cow-dung fly on windy
days, with the above-named one.
No. 10. THE DUN FOX FLY.--The body is made of the fur found on the neck
of the fox next the skin, mixed with golden yellow mohair. The wings are
the wing feather of the starling or fieldfare, with two fibres of a
stiff honey dun cock hackle for tail; pick out the fur a little at the
shoulder for legs; hook No. 12. Never was there a better little fly
than this thrown on the water, it will kill fish any day in the year.
Put on the little black hackle, with peacock harl body with it as a drop
fly; and when the dun fox is used as a drop fly, put on the March brown
as a stretcher. There may be seen three shades of this fly on the water
at the same time occasionally; the other two shades are the ash and blue
fox,--the first is a very light dun colour of the fox cub's neck or
face, the other is of a darker blue shade; they are great favorites with
the trout, artificially; in mild weather throughout the summer, a small
wren and grouse hackle may be used with them, the bodies made very thin
and taper, and rather full at the shoulder--the wren with orange mohair
body, and the grouse with golden yellow floss silk body.
No. 11. THE DUN DRAKE.--The body is made of golden olive mohair, mixed
with hare's ear fur, the light and dark, and forked with two short
fibres of brown mallard. The wings are made of land-rail wing, and a
little brown mallard, mixed nicely together. Hook, No. 9. There is a
dark red, and a dark dun fly on the water at the same time as the
dun-drake, all of which will be found good ones till the end of May.
The Irish name for the dun drake, is "Coughlan,"[A] made thus:--The
wings, grey partridge tail; the body, light brown bear's fur, with
bright yellow mohair, hare's fur from the face, mixed altogether, forked
with two stripes of a dark mallard's feather, and a partridge hackle.
No. 8 hook. In Ireland they consider this the most useful fly they have
in April and May, as a stretcher, used with the little dun fox, and
black-red, (soldier fly).
No. 12. THE STONE FLY.--The body is made of brown mohair ribbed with
yellow silk, a tuft or tag of yellow mohair or silk at the tail, and a
little yellow mohair worked in under the shoulder, over which roll the
hackle, which should be of a brown-red colour; the wings are made of the
hen pheasant tail mixed with copper brown mallard, made full, and larger
than the body. No. 6 hook. If this fly is made of good colours, as above
described, hardly any large trout, in humour of taking, can well refuse
it. An odd one of them may be seen in March, when the weather is mild;
but in April and May, when it becomes more congenial to them, they
appear numerous towards the evening. Ribbed with gold twist, it makes a
famous grilse fly.
No. 13. THE YELLOW SALLY.--The body is made of buff-colored fur, and a
small yellow hackle for legs round the head; the wings are made of the
buff-coloured feather inside the wing of the thrush. No. 13 hook. This
is the forerunner of the Green Drake or May fly. The trout take this
little fly freely, and it is a most excellent killer on fine days, if
made according to the description. It will be found on the water till
the end of May. The partridge hackle is also good in this month.
[Illustration: Plate of 16 Flies]
FOOTNOTE:
[Footnote A: "Taylor's Angler."]
FLIES FOR MAY.
No. 14. THE BLACK GNAT.--The body is made of black hair from the
spaniel's ear which is fine and soft, or a black ostrich feather clipped
very close, and a small black hackle for legs; the wings are from the
starling's wing feather. No. 13 hook. This is a good fly throughout a
clear day, used as a dropper with the foregoing fly, and wren tail.
It floats on the surface of the water in numbers on sultry days with
mild showers of rain. It may be varied to advantage with blue silk body.
No. 15. THE LITTLE BROWN MIDGE.--The body is made of brown mohair with a
shade of orange mohair at the shoulder, two turns of a small brown-red
hackle for legs; the wings are made of brown mallard and a little strip
of land-rail mixed. No. 13 hook, snick bend.
There appears to be a variety of small flies on the water with the above
fly about the middle of the day, dark browns, pea-greens, and dun flies,
all water insects, which the trout take very freely.
No. 16. THE LITTLE IRON BLUE.--The body is made of a little light
coloured water-rat's fur mixed with a few hairs of yellow, an iron blue
coloured dun hackle for legs, and the wings from a blue dun feather to
be found underneath the wing of a dun hen, or starling wing feather,
tail it with a dun hackle, two fibres. No. 10 hook. It sails upright on
its legs on the water, with both tail and wings cocked up, so that it
would suit best as a bob fly. It will be found a useful fly throughout
the season, varied a little in shade according to the weather, the
darker ones on fine clear days.
The Coachman, Oral, and the Governor flies will be found good ones in
this month towards night, when the beautiful White Moth may be also
seen.
No. 17. HARE'S EAR AND YELLOW.--The body is made of the light part of
the fur from the hare's ear, ribbed with yellow silk; the wings are from
the wing of the starling or fieldfare, and two stiff fibres of honey dun
cock's hackle, from the rump for tail, to cock up, pick out the fur at
the head for legs, No. 12 hook. It will kill fish every day in this
month, and will be found good till the end of July. It may be also
called the Little Cocktail.
No. 18. THE GREEN DRAKE.--The body of this beautiful fly is made of
yellow green mohair, the color of a gosling newly come out of the shell,
and ribbed with yellow-brown silk, a shade of light brown mohair at the
tail, and a tuft of the same color at the shoulder, picked out between
the hackle, the whisks of the tail to be of three black hairs of the
mane of a horse, about three-quarters of an inch long; the hackle to be
a greenish buff dyed, (dye a silver dun hackle with bars across it
called a cuckoo), or a light ginger hackle bordering on a yellow. The
wings, which should be made full, and to stand upright, are made of dyed
mallard feathers of a greenish buff, or yellowish shade: a brown head of
peacock harl tied neatly above the wings, No. 6 hook. The wings may be
made of the ends of two large dyed mallard feathers, with each side
stripped off, and the beautiful long ends to form the wings, tie them on
whole back to back, a little longer than the bend of the hook--these
feathers stand up well and appear very natural in the water; large size
ones kill well in lakes, with bright yellow mohair bodies and gold twist
rolled up them; a long honey dun palmer kills well on windy days,
allowed to sink near the bottom, ribbed with gold twist (see the palmer
in the plate with double hook). The trout take it no doubt for the
Creeper or "Cad Bait;" a very small swivel tied on at the head, would
improve its life-like appearance in the water as you move it with the
rod; and the larger size one would also do better with a swivel.
No. 19.--THE GREY DRAKE.--The body is made of pale yellow mohair, or
floss, three fibres of dark mallard for tail, ribbed with brown silk, a
grizzled dun-cock's hackle for legs, or silver grey; grey mallard for
wings, and a peacock harl head.
The body should be made taper, and full at the head, it is a capital fly
on rough days in May and June, and used to advantage on warm evenings.
The body may be also made of dun fox fur, grey at the ends, a silver
grey hackle for legs, and forked with three hairs from a fitch's tail;
the wings grey mallard and widgeon mixed. It is also made of straw body,
grey cock's hackle, and mallard wings--these two methods are very good.
They kill well in Scotland, and in Ireland are called the "Grey
Cochlan." These flies may be seen in "Taylor's Angler."
Mr. Taylor was an angler of no small pretensions, he was very fond of
the Irish coloured flies, and has adopted many of them as standards for
Scotland, England, and many rivers in Wales.
FLIES FOR JUNE.
No. 20.--THE GREAT RED SPINNER.--The body is made of red mohair, ribbed
with fine gold wire, and a red cock hackle for legs; the wings are made
of brown and grey mallard, the grey underneath; two fibres of stiff
cock's saddle hackle for tail, No. 6 or 7 hook. The Small Red Spinner is
made as the above, but instead of mallard use starling wings. It is an
excellent fly for a dark evening in June and July, with the furnace
hackle.
No. 21.--THE ALDER FLY.--The body is made of brown coloured peacock
harl, a black-red cock hackle for legs, the wings are made of hen
pheasant tail feathers, hook No 6. There is another way or two of making
this fly which cannot be beaten, they are mostly used in Ireland, and
are known to be killers in England and Scotland. The body is made of
bronze brown mohair, a very small brown grouse hackle round the head,
and the wings from a brown spotted hen's wing, No. 8 hook. The other is
made with grey and red partridge tail mixed for wings, a copper brown
peacock harl body, and a dark brown red hackle off a cock's neck for
legs. The legs may be also made of the wren's tail or woodcock hackle,
this feather is found on the roots of the outside of the wings of the
woodcock. These are good flies in lakes or rivers for large trout--rib
with gold for lakes.
No. 22.--THE SAND FLY.--The body is made of the sandy coloured fur from
the hare's pole, mixed with orange mohair, and a small ginger coloured
cock's hackle for legs; the wings are made of a sandy coloured brown
hen's wing, No. 10 hook. An excellent little fly on fine days with a
little wind and occasional showers.
There is another little fly that will be found equally good, made
thus:--the wings are made of red and grey partridge tail feathers,
orange body, and black-red hackle rolled up from the tail to the head,
it will kill well on dark days, ribbed with gold, No. 8 hook.
No. 23.--THE WHITE MOTH.--The body is made of white mohair, which is
lively ribbed with orange floss, a white cock's hackle rolled round the
shoulder; the wings from a white feather of the swan that grows over
the back. It may be varied with cream coloured mohair, very light ginger
hackle, and a buff wing from a hen of that colour; and a browner one may
be made from a matted brown hen's wing, or light brown grouse tail, or
large hackle off the rump of the same bird, brown-red cock's hackle, the
whole to be made full, of good coloured and stiff materials, that they
may not absorb the water, and alight heavy when thrown on the surface.
No. 24. THE OAK FLY.--The body is made of orange silk, and a little
hare's ear fur under the shoulder, rib it with a furnace hackle from the
centre of the body up (if the hackles are tied on at the tail they are
very apt to get cut with the teeth of the fish in a very short time).
The wings may be made from the mottled brown hen, or the woodcock wings,
of a red tinge. No. 8 hook. This fly cannot be too highly valued for its
killing qualities. It will be found useful for large trout of a windy
day with a grey cloud over head, and not likely to rain. "Mr. Bowlker,"
in his "Art of Angling," mentions the oak fly in this manner: "The oak,
ash, woodcock, cannon, or down-hill fly, comes on about the sixteenth of
May, and continues on till about a week in June; it is to be found on
the butts of trees, with its head always downwards, which gives it the
name of the down-hill fly. It is bred in oak-apples, and is the best of
all flies for bobbing at the bush in the natural way, and a good fly for
the dab-line, when made artificially." The wings are made from a feather
out of the wing of the partridge or woodcock, the body with a bittern's
feather, and the head with a little of the brown part of hare's fur. The
hook, No. 6. Some dub it with an orange, tawny, and black ground, and
with blackish wool and gold twist; the wings off the brown part of a
mallard's feather.
FLIES FOR JULY.
No. 25.--THE GREAT WHIRLING DUN.--The body is made of water-rat's fur,
mixed with yellow mohair, and ribbed with yellow silk; a reddish blue
dun hackle for legs; grey mallard wings, or starling--try both. No. 8
hook. There are two or three varieties of this fly, which make their
appearance in this month, and are very killing on fine, mild days, with
occasional showers; their colours run from a dark to a light sky-blue.
"Mr. Bowlker," in his "Art of Angling," an authority which I like, as he
was himself a fisherman, speaks thus of one of these beautiful flies:
"It comes on about the end of May, and continues till the middle of
July. It is a neat, curious, and beautiful fly; its wings are
transparent, stand upright on its back, and are of a fine blue colour,
its body is of a pale yellow, its tail forked, and the colour of its
wings. It is a fly that the fishes take extremely well from seven
o'clock in the evening till sun-set. The wings are made from the light
blue feather of a hen; the body is made with pale yellow mohair, mixed
with light blue fur, and ribbed with a fine cock's hackle, dyed yellow,
the hook, No. 8." This is taken from "Bowlker's" original work.
No. 26. THE LITTLE PEACOCK FLY.--The body is made of bright brown
peacock's harl, with a tip of gold at the tail, or gold colour floss
silk; a red hackle for legs, and a starling wing. This little fly comes
on about the middle of July, and continues till the end of August. It
may be used to advantage on fine days, with the blue dun, and cinnamon
brown. I have seen this latter fly on the river "Mole," in August, of a
fine brown colour, and plump in the body, about the size of the Great
Whirling Dun. The body was red brown, the legs an amber brown, the wings
were a mottled light brown, and the tail of the same colour as the
wings. I have seen the above fly some time after on the "Bann," in the
north of Ireland, a river six times the size of the Mole, not half the
size, in August. This circumstance of the difference in size, must be
the nature of the soil through which the rivers flow; the "Bann" is a
gravelly bed, full of large stones, with a very fall strong running
stream; the "Mole" not so. It is my opinion that in the summer months
there is more sport to be had with flies as small as can be made, than
with the general run, except late in the evening, then use a large
fly--a brown, or white moth, where a large fish shows himself.
No. 27. THE BLUE BLOW.--The body is made of mole's fur mixed with yellow
mohair, run very taper from the tail up; the wings are made of a
tom-tit's tail feather, or water hen; the tail is two hairs of a mouse's
whisker, or fibres of dark dun hackle; the body is picked out a little
at the head to imitate legs; the fly altogether to be made very small
and delicate, hook No. 13. These little flies may be seen on good size
rivers in hundreds, in the summer on sultry days; where there is a stone
projecting out of the water they gather round it, and with the motion
are carried up and down on the side of the stone, where large trout lie,
like ant bears, sucking them in by the dozen; the wing of the water-rail
is capital to imitate that of the fly. There is another excellent
killing fly that may be used with the above, made thus;--body, gold
colour mohair; tip of gold; woodcock or wren hackle for legs; grey
partridge tail for wrings; and two fibres of the same for tail; No. 10
hook. They are good where the river is low, and are excellent till the
end of August, used with the little brown fly, and ash fox.
There are also three little flies which are very good in this month and
the next, and although they are not very well known by name,
nevertheless they will be found killing. First, the "Orange Wren," with
orange mohair body, and wren tail hackle. Second, the "Golden Wren,"
with golden yellow mohair body, and wren tail hackle for legs. Third,
the "Green Wren," with green floss body, and wren tail for legs. The
Brown Wren, and the little Peacock Wren, are also good. No. 13 hook. The
latter little fly is called the "Shiner."
No. 28. THE YELLOW DUN.--The body is made of light buff-coloured fur,
white sable far dyed yellow, and a honey dun cock's hackle for legs; two
fibres of the same feather for tail; the wings are made of starling wing
feather. No. 12 hook. This pretty little fly is a great favourite with
the trout in the evenings of sultry days, till the end of August and
September.
FLIES FOR AUGUST.
No. 29. THE RED DUN.--The body is made of red orange hair, over which
roll a small dun hackle; the wings are a dun grey, and are made of
starling wing feather, mixed with a little mallard. No. 10 hook. It may
be varied thus: Red legs and dun body; orange floss body, over which
roll a black hackle, and starling wing. The size of hook to vary from
No. 10 to No. 7.
This is an excellent fly in rapid streams where there are large trout;
it is so attractive that they cannot refuse it when it moves over them.
Trout that lie or haunt strong streams, are called, in Ireland,
"Hunters." The cause is, no doubt, through their being thin and long in
the body, and are possessed with enormous mouths to take in their prey.
They take small trout freely.
No. 30. THE ANT FLY.--The body is made of brown floss silk, and a small
fibred peacock harl at tail; a brown red hackle for legs, and wings of
starling feather. No. 10 hook.
There is a black ant the same size as the above, and a red and black one
much larger; the black one is made of black floss for the body, small
black hackle for legs, and a blackbird's wing for the wings of the fly.
The small ones kill on fine days, and the larger ones when there is a
strong wind, which blows them on the water, and causes a ripple.
No. 31. THE CAPERER.--The body is made of brown mohair, or floss silk of
a copper colour, and tipped with gold at the tail; a brown red cock's
hackle at the shoulder for legs, and winged with the woodcock wing
feather. No. 8 hook. This fly may be seen on fine sultry days whirling
up and down over the water, and occasionally dipping on the surface; the
trout take them very freely. This fly will be found on the water till
the end of September, with the paler dun, yellow dun, blue dun, and
willow fly. The greyling also like these little flies.
[Illustration: Plate of Larvas and Green Drakes.]
THE WINGED LARVA.--The body is made of brown mohair; the larva is
attached to this body at the shoulder, and tailed with two fibres of
golden pheasant neck feather, a woodcock hackle round the shoulder, and
winged with hen pheasant tail, mixed with a little woodcock or partridge
tail feather, and a bronze peacock head. No. 8 hook. It will be found a
good fly on dark windy days in this month and the next, and during the
prevalence of winds from the east; it will do best where a strong rapid
stream runs into a deep pool.
A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE WINGED LARVA:--The body is made of bright golden
yellow mohair, which looks very transparent; a woodcock wing, and a
hackle off the same bird, with two fibres of golden pheasant neck
feather for tail. No. 8 hook.
THE WILLOW FLIES.--The body of the first is made of blue squirrel's fur,
mixed with a little yellow mohair; a blue dun cock's hackle round the
shoulder, and a tomtit wing. No. 8 hook. The second fly is made of
orange silk body, ribbed with fine black silk; a very dark furnace
hackle round the head, and blackbird's wing. No. 10 hook. The third fly
is made of the wings or blue feather of the sea-swallow, for the wing of
the fly, and the lightest blue fur that can be got for body (the fine
blue of the fox's neck, next to the skin; the fur of a very young
water-rat, or the lightest blue fur of the squirrel); a light dun cock's
hackle, and a tail of the same. No. 10 hook. These little flies will
kill till the end of October, and are excellent fur greyling. There are
hundreds of other flies that make their appearance on the water through
the summer months, which come under the angler's notice when in pursuit
of his pastime, that may be imitated to advantage, the varieties of
which must fill the mind with admiration.
FISHING RODS AND FLY FISHING.
For a trout rod, to have a good balance from the butt to the extreme
top, it is essentially necessary that the wood should be well-seasoned,
straight in the grain, and free from knots and imperfections. It should
consist of three or four joints, according to fancy. There is not the
least occasion for a rod to be glued up in pieces first, and then cut
into lengths and fitted with ferrules, for then you have the unnecessary
trouble of lapping the splices, but it is best to clean each piece
separately, and measure the exact taper each piece should be to one
another with the ferrules to fit in the same proportion, the least thing
wider at the lower end than at the top; the ends to be bored for the
tongues to fit into tightly to prevent shaking, that when they are
double brazed they may fit air-tight.
The ends must be bored previous to planing down the substance of the
pieces, and tied round with waxed thread to prevent them from opening or
cracking, so that these pieces may be pushed into each end of the
boring whilst the rod is planed up to its proper substance or size,
except the tops, which should be well glued-up pieces of bamboo cane,
and filed down to their proper sizes to suit the other parts of the rod;
this may be also done by fastening the tongue of the top in the bored
joint next in size. The butt should be made of ash, the middle piece of
hickory, and the top of bamboo, which is the lightest and toughest of
all woods that can be brought to so fine a consistency. The length of
the rod for single-hand fly fishing should be from twelve to thirteen
feet long--a length which may be used with great facility without tiring
the arm. The butt should be easy in the grasp and not a great deal of
timber in it; the next piece to be nearly as stout as the butt above the
ferrule for a foot and a half, this prevents its being weak at that
particular part, which otherwise would cause the rod to be limber in the
middle; the next or fourth piece to be stiffer and lighter in the wood
to keep up the top; the whole rod to stand nearly straight up when held
in the hand, and to have a smart spring above, which assists materially
in getting out the line when throwing. The splices of the tops should
be tightly bound over with the finest silk, well waxed, and over all
three or four coats of good varnish that is not liable to crack. You
cannot bind the splices tight enough with coarse three-cord silk, the
top being so small it cannot be drawn together near so well as with fine
silk, and when the varnish rubs off it opens and admits the water, which
loosens the glued splice inside. The fine waxed silk is to be preferred
by all means, as it lies closer on the wood, becomes harder, and makes
the splice stiffer to work with the other parts.
When the whole is ringed, ferruled, and fitted for the reel complete, it
should not (a twelve foot) exceed one pound; it will afford great
comfort to the fly fisher in his innocent pursuit, and will not fatigue
him during a long summer day. The reel should be light, in proportion to
the rod, and to contain thirty yards of silk and hair line made fine and
taper, and when the rod is grasped in the hand a little way above the
reel, the balance should be the same above the hand as below it, so that
it may be used with the greatest ease.
The beautiful rent and glued-up bamboo-cane fly rods, which I turn out
to the greatest perfection, are very valuable, as they are both light
and powerful, and throw the line with great facility. The cane for these
rods must be of the very best description, or they will not last any
time. They will last for years if properly made, and of course the
fisher must take care of them; they are best when made into pocket rods,
in eight joints, with all the knots cut out, and the good pieces between
each knot rent and glued up; these may be had in my shop of as good a
balance as a three-joint rod, most superbly made of the lightest
brazings. They make capital perch and roach rods with a bait top added
to the extra fly top, with bored butt to hold all. These rods can be
made to suit a lady's hand for either boat or fly fishing.
The salmon rod should be made in four pieces or joints. The butt of the
best long grained solid ash, the wood of which is not so heavy as
hickory, and is not liable to break at the ferrule, that is, if the
ferrule is put on "flush," without letting it into the wood by scoring
it; the piece above the butt, and the joint next the top, should be of
the very best well-seasoned hickory, without crack or flaw; the tops to
be made of the best yellow bamboo cane, either rent and glued up in
three pieces, or spliced in short lengths with the knots cut away; the
first joint to be nearly as stout as the substance of the wood above the
ferrule as the end of the butt for a foot and a half, to prevent the rod
being limber in the middle; the next joint that holds the top should be
very smart, and come up at a touch when bent with the hand, and the
extreme lightness of the cane top prevents all appearance of its being
top-heavy, which cannot be prevented with lance-wood, unless it is made
very fine indeed, and then it becomes useless. The length of the rod
should not exceed seventeen or eighteen feet long, and for light rivers,
sixteen feet is quite long enough; if the angler fly fishes for salmon
from a boat, fourteen feet will be sufficient, made, of course, very
powerful throughout, as in some large rivers a salmon will take the fly
close to the boat in strong and deep streams. The rings should be pretty
large, to admit of the line running freely, and the joints double
brazed, which prevents the bare wood of the tongues twisting off when
the rod is taken to pieces after a day's fishing, particularly when they
get wet. The reel fittings should be about a foot and a half, or say
twenty inches from the extreme end, that there may be room for the left
hand to grasp it easily below the reel, which prevents the rod hanging
heavy on the arms, and will balance it much better than having the reel
too near the end of the butt. When the salmon rod is bent after playing
a fish, it can be easily straightened by turning it when the next fish
is hooked, and allow the line to run through the rings on the top of the
rod; by holding it in that position, you can see how you are winding up
the line on the reel, and regulate it according as the fish runs towards
you, for if the reel is held underneath when the fish is on, if he runs
towards you, it cannot be seen whether the line runs on in a lump or
not, which, if it does, often causes it to stop, and may occasion the
loss of your fish.
The most essential and nicest point of all is in casting the line and
trout flies neatly on the water, which, when properly accomplished in a
masterly way, will be the greatest means towards the success of the fly
fisher in hooking and catching his fish. In the first place, the fisher
should keep as far off the water as possible when throwing next his own
side, and make it a rule, whenever he can, to angle on the bank from
which the wind blows, as it will enable him to throw the flies across to
the opposite bank, and play them gently down the stream in a slanting
direction towards him, moving backwards as they approach his side,
drawing them up along the bank if the stream is any ways deep, as a
trout of good size is often lying in such a place when undisturbed, as
you fish cautiously down.
The line should not be let off the reel too fast when you begin to
throw, that the stream may be carefully covered near you, and as you
move along let it off so as to cover the whole of the water. Hold the
rod firmly above the reel in the right hand, and take hold of the end of
the casting line in the left, give it a motion towards your left
shoulder, and over the head with a circle to the full length of the
flies behind you, and with a spring of the rod and motion of the arm
bring them right before you on to the stream, as straightly and lightly
as possible, and by this method you will prevent them whipping off
behind in a very short time; allow the line always to stretch to its
full length behind, and keep them on the move, with the backward sweep
of the rod round the head propel them forward to the place you desire
they should fall, and I do not doubt that you will make neither splash
nor ripple on the surface. And when a fish makes a rise, move the rod
upwards with a gentle pull, which is better than striking hard, as the
small hook is easily driven, and there is no occasion to break the hold
or line. Never hold too hard on a large fish, but let him run if he
will, a small one may be landed immediately. By no means attempt to go
"an angling" without a landing net, as there may be danger in losing
your fish, after having the trouble or sport of playing him a long time,
and the bank high on your side. I have been always in the habit of
fishing down the stream, throwing my flies slantingly to the opposite
bank, and letting them fall gradually with the current, and walking
slowly along lifting and throwing them at my leisure--it is all fancy
whether up or down you go, so as it is well done--what you have
habituated yourself to in fly fishing in general, that do. Keep your
shadow as much as possible off the water, and when you land your fish
let his head drop into the net first, and his whole weight will follow,
lift him clean up on the bank with a pull of the net towards you, as
this prevents him dropping out.
FLY-FISHING FOR SALMON.
When you begin fly-fishing for Salmon, you must be careful not to let
out too much of the reel line first, but when you become accustomed to
it, and are master of throwing a short one, let it out gradually till
you are enabled to cover the pool over which you cast with ease.
If you practice throwing over a smooth wide part of the river, you will
see how your line falls on the water, whether thrown in a lump, or light
and straight without a splash; but at one time you may cast the line
right out over the stream at its full length, and on giving another cast
you may allow the line to fall on the water in the middle of it first,
and the fly to fall last, which is not so good, but in either way the
fish will rise and take it; by the last cast you may get the line
farther off, and the fly alighting near the opposite bank, it is very
apt to be taken by a fish lying close under it; and when throwing, keep
the point of the rod up out of the water, and do not let it strike it;
throw across in a rather slanting direction, allowing the fly to sweep
down without a curve in the middle of the line, and at the same time
move the rod playfully to give the fly a life-like appearance; drawing
it in towards your side of the bank, moving it up and down gradually
with the current, and when a fish takes the fly raise your hand, and
fasten the hook without a jerk, holding up your rod at the same time
with what is termed a "sweet fast," that it may not get slack at any
time till you have killed him; when you poise the rod in your hands for
a throw, the whole knack is in keeping the left hand steady, and with a
turn of the right hand cause the line to make a circle round the left
shoulder and over the head, propel it forward with the spring of the
rod, keeping the fly going all the time till it falls on the water
before you as straight as possible; when you lift the fly out of the
water to throw again, you require to make use of the strength of the
right arm, giving it the proper turn round with the wrist, making a
sweep of the extent of the line behind you, and with the spring and
power of the rod direct the fly on that part of the stream where you
desire it should fall; letting the line out occasionally off the reel
with your hand, which gives the fly a very natural motion on the water,
moving it gradually down towards your side, when you lift the line out
and make another throw as before a little lower down, and so on until
you cover the whole stream.
You may change to the left hand when you are tired with the right, or
according to the side you are fishing from, to facilitate and ease your
exertion as much as possible when throwing a long line. When I have
happened to be in a barn at a farm house on the river side, I have often
thought when taking up the flail to thrash awhile, whilst the man was
resting himself, that the exertion was remarkably like throwing the fly
with the Salmon rod, the whole method appears to be in the turn of the
wrist and arm, for when the flail is raised up and wound over the left
shoulder, with a certain impulse known to one's self you propel it
forward over the head, striking the sheaf on the ground with full force
on any part you like, where you think there are any ears in it.
Many may not be acquainted with flail thrashing, but were they to
understand the knack, it is easily done; so, also, is the using of the
salmon rod, with a little practice, and observing a good thrower if you
happen to meet one on the river, or an old fisherman you employ.
Keep yourself steady on your feet, and your body well up when casting,
as it gives more power to the muscles, and when a salmon is fairly
hooked it will prevent your being nervous or striking too quick, but as
I said before, rise your hand and keep the line taut; as the fish will
often rise several times out of the water in succession when first
pricked with the hook, on finding himself detained; when he runs keep
the rod nearly perpendicular, as the spring of it will soon tire him
out; if he is a good way off and makes a rush towards you, wind up your
line quickly, keeping it taut at the same time, and moving backwards
till he is near your own shore: if he rolls over in the water apply the
gaff and lift him out, but if he is not regularly beat he will rush off
again on seeing the gaff with great strength, give in he must at last
by the gentle strain of the rod that is always upon him. He often gets
sulky, and lies down on the bottom of the river, when it will be found
difficult to start him again: a clearing ring let down the line on his
nose will cause him to run, and when he does so, it is best to bear
stronger upon him, as in so doing you have the best chance of quickly
tiring and capturing him. I think it the best plan to lay the gaff under
him, and gaff him in the gills, which prevents tearing or making a hole
in the fish.
The Salmon reel should be made of the lightest and hardest material, not
too much contracted, but a good width, that the line may be wound up
evenly without incumbrance; a plain upright handle is much the safest
when playing a fish, as the portable ones are apt to crack or snap off
if they meet the least obstruction in the running out of the line; and
the portable handle stands too far out, which catches the line almost
every time it is drawn off or a cast given. Small reels may be made with
portable handles, without any fear of their breaking, as the fish are
small and can be managed easily.
The salmon line should be of silk and hair eight-plait or four-plait,
eighty or a hundred yards long, and for small rivers, sixty yards for a
sixteen feet rod. The casting line for clear waters should be half
treble and half single gut, to suit grilse or small salmon flies in
summer; and in the spring of the year when large flies are in use, good
strong-twisted gut, three yards long, is what is necessary for a heavy
reel line, particularly in large rivers, as the Shannon and the Bann in
Ireland, and the Tweed in Scotland.
There are not three better Salmon Rivers in the world than the above,
were the salmon allowed access into them during the summer months for
the amusement of those great angling gentlemen who would visit them
during that period, or even if there were but a few let up past the
"cruives" or "cuts," that there might be a sprinkling for them to throw
flies over. It would not matter to them what nets the fishermen along
the shores of the estuaries used, as they only affect the "Cruives," or
"Fixed Traps" built across the rivers, as of course less fish run into
them, and there would be abundance of salmon and grilse go up the
centre or deep part of the river, which the fishermen could not possibly
reach.
These "Traps" are kept down all the summer, from the early spring till
the end of August, at which period they are what is termed "lifted," and
up run the spawning fish; and the great fly fishers now lay by their
rods and tackle for that season, as fly fishing is prohibited when the
salmon are spawning in the rivers. There is certainly a respite in the
Tweed, when the nets are taken off at the end of the season for the
accommodation of the fly fisher; and were it so in the Shannon and the
Bann, there would be very great satisfaction in having a month or six
weeks' fishing in these splendid rivers. They are certainly free
throughout the summer to the fly fisher, but he might labour a whole day
with his rod and fly without getting a rise, except by chance.
There will never be any good done until the "cruives" or "cuts" are
removed off the rivers, unless the head landlord would make an agreement
with the renter of the "cruive," and enforce it as a law,--to lift the
"cruive" two days in the week, that there might be fish in the rivers
for the accommodation of the great body of gentlemen anglers who make
it their business to travel to these rivers to find amusement in Fly
Fishing, at very great expense; although I do not know if even this
would do,--it would be best by all means to remove them; and,
independent of fair netting for the general supply at the mouths and
estuaries, a Society of Anglers could rent the entire river, were the
owner to meet them on liberal terms which no doubt he would, and this
would prevent the destruction by degrees of the best breeding-fish in
the river.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE SALMON, AND ITS VARIETIES.
I desire merely to give some account of this beautiful fish for the
information of my readers, the knowledge of which has come under my own
notice, in the rivers of Ireland in particular, amongst the fishermen at
their mouths, at the "cruives" or "cuts," and throughout my rambles
along their banks.
This excellent salmon is a very handsome fish, the head is small, the
body rather long and covered with bright scales, the back is of a bluish
shade, the other parts white, and marked with irregular dark brown spots
on the head, the covers of the gills, down each side from the lateral
lines to near the edge of the back, very few are to be seen below the
lines which run from head to tail; the tail is forked.
He takes great delight in pursuing small fish and fry, and in playing
and jumping on the top of the water, at insects no doubt, and for his
own sport.
It has been often said that there was never any thing found in the
salmon's stomach such as edibles, but it has been recently discovered
that they prey upon herrings, sprats, fry, and other dainties in their
native element; and as these fish are very nutritious and fat in
themselves, no doubt the nourishing channel in them receives the
substance of the food very quickly, as it appears to be digested so
rapidly in their stomachs. He leaves the sea for the fresh water rivers
about January and February, and continues to run up till September and
October, their spawning time, and some spawn after this time; they are
often big with roe in December and January, in the end of August or the
beginning of September; when they are in roe regularly, they cannot be
in proper season; they get soft, their beautiful color and spots vanish,
and they do not appear like the same fish. They travel up rivers as far
as they can possibly get, into lakes and their feeders, and tributaries
of large rivers, where they take delight in the broad gravelly fords,
and strong deep running currents, which they like to be as clear as
crystal, to effect which they will leap over weirs, waterfalls, "cuts,"
"cruives," and "traps," when there is a flood rushing over them, to the
great delight of the fly fisher, who loves to see them run and escape
these obstructions.
The male fish is supplied by nature with a hard gristly beak on the end
of the under jaw, which fits into a socket in the upper jaw to a nicety;
with this the Salmon go to work with their heads up stream, rising their
tails sometimes nearly perpendicular, and root up the sand and gravel in
heaps, leaving a hollow between, wherein the female deposits the eggs;
the male fish still performing his part, chasing away the large trout
that are ready to root it up (the spawn), he covers it over
substantially against the forthcoming winter's floods and storms. By
this time he becomes wearied, spent, and sickly, and then turns himself
round and makes head for the sea, where, if once happily arrived, he
soon makes up for the debility in his blue, his fresh, and ever free
element. The refreshing and purging nature of the salt water soon makes
him once more strong and healthy, he may be seen leaping and playing in
the sea near the river's mouth on his recovery. I have been told by
fishermen that they proceed in shoals to the ice fields in the North
Seas, and return to the rivers and estuaries in the spring and summer
as they departed, in large shoals; they discover themselves in the bays
by jumping out of the water as they near the river.
The Salmon haunts the deepest, strongest, and most rapid rivers, and is
rarely to be seen in those wherein there is much traffic, or that are
sullen or muddy. They prefer the upper parts of rough streams that run
into large pools, and the tails of these pools, behind large stones, in
the middle and at sides of waterfalls in the eddies, these are the parts
to throw for them, but the fisherman on the water will show the angler
all the best places. The best months to angle for them are from March
till the middle of August, after September they are out of season. They
will take the fly best from six or seven o'clock in the morning till
nine, and from three in the afternoon till dark, with a good wind
blowing up stream. I have hooked them on the very top of a precipice,
after surmounting the leap, where they lie to rest in the first deep
pool they come to; they generally run down over the rocks or falls of
water to the pool beneath, when they often get killed by the rapid
descent.
THE SALMON FRY.
These beautiful little fish, the production of the spawn of the salmon,
make their appearance in March and April, and if a flood happens to rise
or swell the rivers about the end of the latter month, they are taken
down in great numbers, till at last they enter the brackish water, where
they grow in a short time as large as white trout. The salt water adds
much to their growth. In the following spring and summer they run up the
rivers in great quantities if they are allowed, and return to the sea
again before winter. On their second return up the rivers they will be
grown very large, and are then called "Grilse," or "Peals," &c.
There is a SALMON TROUT of the same species, which is rounder in
proportion to the Salmon, of a reddish hue when in season; it has small
fine scales, beautifully intermixed with rich red and black spots on
both sides of the lateral lines, from head to tail, and its handsome
head is spotted over, as also the covers of the gills; the tail is
shorter, and not so much forked as the salmon, and the fins are very
strong. The flesh is most delicious, and some prefer it to salmon. They
may be seen in the Fishmongers' shops from May till the end of August.
Another species is the Sewen of Wales, the White Trout of Ireland and
England, and the Whiting of Scotland; they are very bright in colour,
and run about the size of Mackerel; they haunt the roughest, strong
streams, and gravelly bottoms. When they are hooked on the fly they will
spring repeatedly out of the water, and afford pleasant sport for the
angler. They take small gaudy flies like the Salmon Trout, and when the
water is low, dun flies, black hackle flies with silver ribs, and grouse
hackles of a light brown colour and yellow bodies. The hooks about Nos.
6 and 8.
Another species is the Bull-Trout, which has a short thick head, and a
brownish body, covered with spots of a brown colour, and are found in
all rivers having communication with the sea, and their tributaries, if
there are no obstructions to prevent their running up. They are found
running up the rivers in June and July, and in these months and August,
are in good season. They are rather a dry fish.
The PAR or LAST-SPRING are most plentiful in salmon rivers from May till
the end of August, and are very much like the salmon fry, only for the
dark bars across them, and towards the end of the season they are
variously marked. There is no little fish so plump and lively when taken
with the fly, except the Salmon Fry. As the Sea-Trout are known to grow
to the weight of sixteen and twenty pounds in large rivers, such as the
Tweed, the Shannon, and the Bann, the Par may be the fry of these fish,
which run up the rivers in the spring and summer. These Sea-Trout differ
much in shape and colour to the real Salmon, and are what are termed
Salmon in the London markets.--This I heard from a fisherman at the
mouth of the Tweed, who pointed out a large creel full to me, just taken
in the nets, and amongst the whole there was but one Salmon. The
Sea-Trout may be known by being paler, and covered with more spots, and
by being longer and thinner in the body; the head is also much longer.
There is a rich golden hue over the Salmon when you get a side look of
it; the body is plump and boar-backed, the head is very small, and
there are few spots, except above the lateral lines.
I have seen the Par so numerous in the River Dovey, in Wales, that a man
(a guide), took my salmon rod, and a cast of four small flies, the sun
shining, and in two hours he killed nine pounds weight of these fish,
about a finger in length or less. It perfectly surprised me; but it
seems that this was but a small quantity in comparison to what the
fishers were in the habit of taking out in a day. It appeared so, as the
inn-keeper's wife potted them in large jars. These rivers abound with
Sewen, Sea-Trout, and White Trout; the first-named fish is the White
Trout of Wales, which corresponds with the Irish fish of that name, and
called in Wales, Sewen. The Par may be the fry of these fish, which are
of the Salmon species, and ought to be protected by law.
[Illustration: Plate of Gaudy Flies, Nos. 1, 2, 3]
A DESCRIPTION OF THE FIFTEEN SALMON FLIES ENGRAVED IN THE PLATES.
These fifteen Salmon Flies may be considered by my readers as specimens
of real perfection, and the "dons" of the present time amongst the great
Salmon fishers. There is such a combination of colours in them
throughout, that they will be found most killing in the rivers of
Scotland and Ireland, if made on hooks of sizes to suit each, and their
proper seasons.
I have taken the greatest pains imaginable to make them in proportion,
and of the most choice materials, which will greatly amuse the amateur
in his leisure hours to imitate them, and if he goes by the models, and
their descriptions, he will find them, when completed, what may be
termed by a Salmon fisher, magnificent. Their life-like and alluring
appearance, when humoured attractively with the rod and line, will cause
them to be very deceptive to the Salmon, and they will rise out of the
water at them with such greediness (the fun of it is) as to mistake
them for living insects. I have seen them swim after the fly for some
distance, as quietly as possible, before making a rush at it, then seize
it, show their back fin, and then the points of their tail--the break of
the water they have made closes--you "rise your hand," and the hook is
"anchored."
No. 1. I shall name this THE SPIRIT FLY, in consequence of its
numerously-jointed body, its fanciful, florid, and delicate appearance.
Its colours will be found most enticing to the fish, and is a sister fly
to Ondine, in the "Book of the Salmon," by "Ephemera."
The wings are made of six toppings, with a broad strip of wood duck on
each side, a red Hymalaya crest feather at top, a cock of the rock
feather, blue kingfisher feather at each side, a black head, and feelers
of macaw. The body is made of joints of black, orange floss, and a tip
of gold tinsel at the tail, tail two small toppings, a tag of puce silk
and ostrich, (it must be tied with very fine silk that the body may not
be lumpy, but to show gradually taper from the tail to the head, and the
hackle to be stripped at one side to roll even), and at each joint a
scarlet hackle, with a tip of gold tinsel under each joint, to make it
lively looking. There is a purple hackle, or very dark blue, struck
round the shoulder. The size of the hook is No. 6 or 7. Salmon, B or BB.
No. 2. The wings are composed of golden pheasant tail feather, mixed
with the following: strips of bustard, scarlet macaw, wood-duck,
mallard, yellow macaw body feather, silver pheasant, and a topping over
all, extending a little longer than the other feathers; blue and yellow
macaw feelers. The wing, as above, should be laid out on a piece of
paper, ready to tie on after the body and legs are formed, the jay
rolled over the head in this fly, and the head tied on last, of black
ostrich. The tail is a topping, mixed with a strip of wood-duck feather,
tipped with silver twist, a tag of gold-colour floss, and black ostrich;
the body puce floss to the centre, and the remainder orange pig hair or
mohair, ribbed with broad silver tinsel, and a guinea-hen rump feather
rolled over the orange beneath the jay hackle. This is about as fine a
specimen of a Salmon fly as ever was thrown into the water, and will
kill Salmon and Grilse, made small, in every Salmon river in Great
Britain. The hook No. 6 or 9, Limerick.
The best Irish hooks are numbered from No. 1, largest Salmon size, to
No. 10, Sea-Trout size.
No. 3. This is another of the Spirit Flies that kill so well in the
rivers of Ireland and Scotland, at high water, particularly the Spey and
Tweed. The wings are made of the following mixtures of feathers, each
side of the wings to be alike: Brown mallard, bustard and wood-duck; a
topping, scarlet macaw, teal, golden pheasant neck feather, a strip of
yellow macaw, and feelers of blue and yellow tail; a head of black
ostrich; the tail to be a topping, mixed with green and red parrot tail;
the body is composed of joints, first a tip of silver, a tag of morone
floss, a tag of black, a joint of brown, green and brown-red hackle,
puce and red, green and yellow, blue and orange, with a tip of gold
tinsel at each joint, a very small red hackle, and two red toucan
feathers round the shoulder, and blue kingfisher's feather on each side
of the wings. The hook No. 6, and No. 10 for Grilse.
No. 4. A celebrated Claret Fly, of very killing qualities both in
Scotland and Ireland, and in the Thames as a trout fly. The wings are
composed of two wood-duck feathers wanting the white tips, and two
strips of the same kind of feather with white tips; the head is made of
peacock harl; the tail is two or three strips of hen pheasant tail, with
a short tuft of red orange macaw body feather or parrot, tipped with
silver, and gold ribbing over the body, which is formed of claret pig
hair, over which roll two richly dyed claret hackles, struck in fine
proportion from the tail up. The hook No. 6 or 10. It is a capital fly
in lakes for large trout, as a breeze or gentle gale only causes a
ripple, and a strong wind does not do so well in lakes with the fly, as
it makes waves, although good for a large size minnow.
[Illustration: Plate of three Salmon-flies, Nos. 4, 5, 6]
No. 5. A brown fly, a general favorite among the "old ones," on every
salmon river in Ireland and Scotland, particularly the latter, and in
rivers a good way up from the sea, on a dark day, with a good breeze
blowing up the stream. The following fly, No. 6, may be used in a
similar manner. The wings are made of the golden pheasant tail that has
the long clouded bar in the feather, rather full, and two rather
broad strips of light brown white-tipped turkey tail feather at each
side; a good size peacock harl head, and feelers of scarlet macaw
feather; tipped at the tail with gold tinsel--the tail a small bright
topping, and a tag of gold-colour floss silk; the body is made of
cinnamon, or yellow-brown pig hair or mohair, ribbed with double silver
twist; over the body roll a real brown red cock's hackle, and round the
throttle roll on a bright red-brown small-spotted grouse hackle, or a
brown mottled feather of the hen Argus pheasant's neck or back. BB hook,
or a No. 8.
No. 6. A Silver Grey Fly, a great favorite on the lakes of Killarney for
Salmon and Grilse, and at Waterville, in the County of Kerry, for Sea
and White Trout, made small on a No. 10 hook, about the size of a No. 6
Trout hook of English make. The wings are made of golden pheasant tail
feather, mixed with mallard, red macaw, blue and yellow body feathers of
the macaw, guinea hen, and golden pheasant neck feathers, with feelers
of blue and yellow macaw, a black head; tipped at the tail with silver
and orange floss tag, the tail a topping mixed with red and blue macaw
feather, (those blues that are found under the wings of that bird which
are of a very light hue) and guinea hen: the body is made of the silver
dun monkey if it can be got, light dun fox or squirrel fur, or dyed blue
dun mohair mixed with yellow,--all these are good for a body, ribbed
with broad silver tinsel, and a hackle of a real dun cock that has a
yellowish motley shade throughout it, rolled up to the head, and round
the shoulder a bright orange dyed hackle, underneath which tie in a
little orange mohair. It may be varied with a claret hackle at the head,
or a fiery brown one. No. 9 hook. A small grilse or sea-trout hook, for
small rivers in either Scotland or Ireland, and also in the rivers of
Wales, where it is a native dun colour among the anglers. It will be
found a "don" to rise them.
No. 7. A large dun palmer with a double hook, which, will be observed,
is of a tortuous shape in the body, as it appears in the plate. The
shape may be obtained by tying the hooks back to back, the top one to be
tied about quarter way down the shank of the end one, and the gut tied
tightly on each, (twisted gut of course when you form a loop).
[Illustration: Plate of four Flies, Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10]
It will be found a "killer" in large pools surrounded with trees in
stormy weather, and in rapid streams running into or near the sea, where
they take it most likely for a shrimp, as it corresponds in color. The
legs are composed of about six hackles of a real blue dun old
cock-saddle feather, having a motley yellowish hue, and peacock harl
head, rather full; the body is made of orange pig hair and yellow mohair
mixed, the former drawn out amongst the fibres of the hackles, which
must be struck on two at a time, commencing at the tail, till it is all
built up to the head, where there may be three hackles to make it
fuller,--it would be as well to have a small swivel at the head, that it
might spin gently round when moved in the water. No. 9 hook, or small
grilse size for large trout. It may be varied with gold, old dun cock's
hackles, and red body.
No. 8 is a beautiful specimen of a gaudy fly. The wings, which are
finely mixed of rich feathers, are made of the following sorts:--orange,
yellow, and blue macaw body feathers, three strips of each; teal,
bustard, and golden pheasant neck feathers broken in strips; silver
pheasant tail, light brown golden pheasant tail feather, and a topping
over all a little longer; a peacock harl head, and blue and yellow
feelers. The body is formed in three joints, a tip of gold twist at the
tail, a tag of peacock harl, and a bright small topping for tail; first,
a joint of yellow floss, a joint of peacock, and two feathers of the
red-tipped feather of the crest of the cock of the rock tied short above
the harl and ribbed with gold; the next is a blue floss silk joint
ribbed with gold, a peacock harl rolled on close, and two feathers of
the crest of the cock of the rock tied close above it; and the third is
an orange floss silk joint, a peacock harl tag, and ribbed with gold,
two of the red-tipped feathers tied on close as above, and a blue jay
round the shoulder. No. 8 hook on B. This is a famous grilse fly.
No. 9 is another great beauty, and a capital grilse or small salmon fly
for any river under the sun. The wings are made of two jungle-cock
feathers, and two shorter feathers of the golden pheasant neck, the
white ends of the jungle-cock to show well beyond the golden pheasant
neck, two broad strips of wood-duck, one at each side, and a topping or
two extending longer than the other feathers for feelers, a black
ostrich head; a tip of gold at the tail, a tag of yellow-green silk, a
tag of black ostrich, and a bright topping for tail, above the ostrich a
blue tag, and the body made of claret floss silk, ribbed with gold
tinsel, and claret dyed hackle struck over the body, with a blue jay
feather at the shoulder. The hook B or BB.
No. 10. This is a famous high water fly for all salmon rivers,
particularly in Scotland, and is not unlike the once celebrated "Parson
Fly," the favourite killer in all rivers of the Reverend St. John's;
there is no salmon can resist its attractions in rapid pools in rivers
near the sea. The preceding fly, No. 9, will be found to kill better a
few miles higher up from the sea, as all plain flies do. If the No. 9 is
winged with brown mallard or brown turkey tail feather, it will be found
just the thing.
The wings are made of two golden pheasant neck feathers, with a broad
strip of peacock wing feather on each side, and a strip of scarlet macaw
tail feather, the latter to be a little longer than the other feathers,
a black ostrich head with a full brilliant blue jay feather round the
shoulder. The body is made thus:--a tip of silver twist, a yellow floss
silk tag, two small toppings for tail, the body is of golden yellow pig
hair or mohair, ribbed with silver twist, with two golden yellow dyed
hackles with a black streak up the centre, rolled from the tail to the
head. No. 9 hook, B, or BB.
No. 11 is a fly that will kill grilse or salmon in the light running
rivers of the North of Scotland, and in all rivers where the salmon and
its varieties haunt, and is made of different sizes. The wings are made
of a few fibres of each of the following feathers: black and white small
spotted bustard rump feather, teal, wood-duck, silver hen pheasant tail,
and the silver cock pheasant tail black and white spotted feathers, the
neck feather of the golden pheasant, and the red spear feather of the
same bird, and at each side two small feathers of the black and white
jungle cock, a black head, and topping. The body is made half yellow and
half purple pig hair or mohair, the latter colour next the head, over
which roll close up two black heron feathers off the crest; a tip of
gold, and a small topping for tail, and over the yellow or purple body
roll double gold twist. No. 7 hook, or BB.
The Sea-Trout Fly underneath No. 11 in the same plate, will be found a
killer either for sea-trout or grilse, in the rivers in Scotland, and
the South of Ireland. The wings are made of a dark brown grouse hackle
that grows on the rump of the bird, just above the tail, mixed with a
small quantity of light brown turkey tail, or kite tail, which is the
salmon tail glede of the north, and two feelers of blue and yellow
macaw; a black head; the body is made with a tip of silver twist at the
tail, and a tag of black ostrich; the tail is a mixture of golden
pheasant neck feather, and brown mallard, two or three fibres of each;
the body is blue floss silk, rather light, with an old black cock's
hackle rolled over it, ribbed with fine silver twist; round the shoulder
roll a claret or scarlet hackle. The hook No. 10, or C, double CC, or B,
for grilse. There may be three or four varieties of this fly made
thus:--body blue, with blue jay, same wings, with a little neck feather
of the golden pheasant; orange body, same coloured hackle, and same
wings, blue jay at head; a dun body, with fiery brown hackle at the
head; a claret body--a yellow body, and small grouse; blue body, and
guinea hen; and a yellow body, with guinea hen; a black body, black
hackle, and the same wings and tail; a black fly, with teal wings; a
brown body, brown hackle, and "glede" wings, two fibres of the same for
tail. All these are the choicest colours for sea-trout and grilse flies
in every salmon river in the kingdom.
[Illustration: Large Spring Salmon-fly]
No. 12. Is a large SPRING FLY used generally in the Shannon, and the
Tweed, when the rivers are very high and rapid. It will be found a
magnificent specimen of a gaudy salmon fly, and is the proper size for
March and April, when the fulness of the stream prevents the fish from
seeing smaller ones. This fly will be seen to perfection in the Plate.
With this, I will describe three or four others of the same size, of
different colours, which came into my possession from Castle Connell, on
the Banks of the Shannon.
The wings of No. 12 are made of the small spotted brown Argus tail
feather, golden pheasant tail, and the black and white peacock wing
feather; scarlet and blue macaw, and in the centre an orange macaw
feather whole, those that are tipped with blue and green--they are found
on the shoulders of the red macaw and down the back; a tuft of broken
neck feather of the golden pheasant at the head, and feelers of blue
and yellow macaw; a black head; a tip of gold at the tail, a tag of
blue, another of orange floss and black ostrich, a good sized topping in
the tail, and at its root a tuft of red spear feather of the golden
pheasant rump; there is about half an inch body at the tail end, made of
yellow mohair, and yellow hackle over it, ribbed with gold, the
remainder of the body is made of puce floss silk, with a dark
wine-purple hackle struck over it, ribbed with silver twist and flat
gold, and a yellow body feather of the macaw rolled round the shoulder.
The hook, No. 2 or 3, large Salmon size.
SPRING FLIES.
The following fine large flies will be excellent killers in the Shannon,
the Tweed, the Thurso, the Spey, and the Tay, in the spring season. The
bodies to be made small, the wings large.
No. 1. The body is made of sky blue floss silk, ribbed with broad silver
tinsel, tip of silver, and orange tag; a dark blue hackle from the tail
up; two toppings in the tail, a large yellow pig hair or mohair head
(white seal fur dyed yellow does well), a blue jay round the shoulder;
the wings are a large yellow and a large blue feather of the macaw,
which grows on the back and under the wings of that bird, two orange
macaw feathers an inch shorter on each side of them, two toppings, a
mixture of argus, bustard, scarlet and blue macaw, good size strips of
each. No. 1 hook, full salmon size.
No. 2. The body is made of black floss silk, tipped with silver, tag of
orange, ribbed with broad silver plate up the body, beside which a
claret hackle, and the tail two toppings; the wings are made of a large
red rump spear feather of the golden pheasant in the centre, four large
toppings with a mixture of sprigging at each side of the following:
Argus pheasant tail, bustard, blue and yellow macaw, blue jay at the
shoulder, and a large size head of puce pig hair. Hook No. 1 or 2,
Spring Salmon size.
No. 3. The body is made of black floss silk, ribbed with silver, orange
tag, tip of silver, tail a topping with a little red; the wings are made
of the whole yellow feathers of the macaw which grow under the wings of
the bird, two tipped feathers mixed with bustard, Argus, blue and
scarlet macaw, and a blue head of pig hair or mohair. No. 1 or 2 hook.
No. 4. The body is made of light puce floss silk, ribbed with silver
plate and gold twist, a claret hackle over it, tipped with silver, a
topping for tail, and orange tag; the wings are made of yellow macaw, a
red spear feather, four toppings, a mixture of bustard golden pheasant
tail, kingfisher's each side, and a large blue head of mohair. (It
cannot be too large for the Shannon). No. 1 hook, large Salmon size.
No. 5. The body is made of puce floss, ribbed with broad silver and gold
twist, purple hackle over it, orange tag, tip of silver, and tail a
topping; the wings are made of two body feathers of the yellow macaw,
mixed with blue macaw tail and Argus, two large toppings, and a dark
blue pig hair head. Salmon hook No. 2, spring size.
No. 6. This is another excellent fly. The wings are like the last named
fly; a black floss body, ribbed with silver, and yellow hackle over it;
a large blue head, picked out to hang down like a hackle. No. 3 hook.
This is a fly of "The Ogormans," of Ennis, in the County of Clare, see
his Work on Angling. The two Salmon Flies in the plate, with "picker,"
are described for Killarney.
SALMON RIVERS.
It will be most advantageous to my readers that I should give them some
accurate accounts of the various Salmon Rivers, pointing out at the same
time the best station on each where sport may be expected with the fly,
and to know where to proceed before starting on their angling excursion,
as the whole fun is in knowing the right places to prevent
disappointment. There are numerous small size rivers, the local flies
for which are of a plain and sombre hue, and which it will be necessary
the fisher should be acquainted with--these I will give as I proceed.
In summer, when the rivers are low, small plain flies are best, or
rather so on dark days, with a good ripple, then they will entice them.
They do not rise often when the sun is warm, except in rapid streams.
Use small black bodied flies with silver and middling gaudy wings, mixed
with teal or cock of the north feather--change it to a gaudy one if they
do not take the black. Early in the mornings before the sun strikes the
water, and from three o'clock till dark, or about sunset is a good time
to move a large fish with a fly he likes. The two flies at the bottom of
the plate with "picker," are most likely ones for that time in the day.
The plain one is brown body, and wings of mallard. The bottom one is
green body, and mixed wings of gaudy feathers; the body is a jointed
one, of peacock green. I made it nearly twenty years ago,--it is a
beautiful specimen of a gaudy fly for rapids after a flood.
THE RIVER TWEED.
I will begin with this large and beautiful salmon river, which runs
rapidly along the borders of England and Scotland, taking a course from
West to East. It flows majestically through a highly picturesque and
cultivated country, washing many good towns on its way to the sea,
where it discharges its valuable waters at Berwick.
The town of Kelso is the best station, as there is good fishing above
and below it. There is a magnificent spot for a month or more of salmon
fishing at a place called "The Throughs," three miles above the
town,--it is a real picture of a place to the eyes of the fisher. Higher
up is St. Boswell's, and a little higher, Melrose--both charming places.
There is good angling in the Tiviot, at Kelso, in the spring; it runs
into the Tweed on the opposite side. The trout are numerous in it. There
are several capital stations below the town, where the fish take the fly
most freely, which is not the case in most of the rivers of the same
magnitude. The fifteen painted salmon flies will be found excellent
killers in this noble river, and the six large spring flies.
I have killed Grilse, Sea-Trout, and River-Trout with the Winged Larva
at the "Throughs" in August. Easterly winds were prevailing at the time,
and the fish would not stir at any other sort of fly. When the river
runs very low small flies are best.
THE RIVER SHANNON.
This is the largest and finest Salmon river in Britain. There is not a
river in Norway that can be compared to it for fishing, were it properly
used. The angler must proceed to its banks before he can say,
conscientiously, that he has ever seen a salmon river. In its course it
expands into three large and beautiful lakes, Lough Allen, Lough Ree,
and Lough Derg. There are numerous islands in the latter one, with ruins
of religious edifices, &c. This noble river receives many tributaries,
in which there is capital fly fishing, with rapids and falls of water
till it reaches Limerick. It runs a hundred and twenty miles to this
place, and sixty more to the sea. It is on leaving the lakes that it
abounds with many delightful streams--the haunts of large Salmon and
fine Trout. Six miles above Limerick, at Castle Connel, there is a
splendid place for the fly, and Trout fishing is good. The angler will
here behold a scene that will greatly amuse him.
There are other capital casts for Salmon up to Killaloe, where the Pike
and Eels are of an extraordinary size and quality. Lough Derg is close
to this place, in which are caught the "Gillaroe" Trout; they have
gizzards like turkeys, are short and round in the body, very red in the
flesh when cooked, and they have a most delicious flavour.
The best flies for the Shannon are the fifteen painted ones, and the six
large flies for spring. You cannot fail with these beautiful flies.
THE LAKES OF CLARE.
From the town of Killaloe the angler may proceed to the lakes of the
County of Clare. You go west to the town of Broadford, eight miles
distant, where there are three or four lakes, the furthest off one,
Dromore; this town is eighteen miles off, and about eight from the
county town, Ennis, on the river Fergus. Twelve miles up this river is
Corrafin, a neat town, near which is the celebrated lake of "Inchiquin,"
famous for its large trout and splendid views. Here the angler will find
boats and every accommodation.
The flies in my list for the season will kill exceedingly well in these
lakes, made two or three sizes larger, and in fine weather the size they
are.
They are fond of grouse hackle, wrens, browns, turf-coloured flies,
amber, black, grey, &c., &c., with brown grouse wings. The "yarn fly"[B]
is not used here.
Before the tourist angler leaves Killaloe, if he has time, he should by
all means see the antiquities of the place, Lough Derg and Holy Island,
where there are to be seen the ruins of seven churches, and a round
tower 70 feet high, the entrenchments of "Brian Boroimhe," King of
Munster, at Cancora, and his tomb near the Cathedral in the town.
This ancient town is seated on the western bank of the Shannon, in the
County of Clare, over which there is a bridge of nineteen arches; at a
short distance below it, this grand river rolls over tremendous ledges
of rocks, where there is an excellent fishery. It is a great pity that
this fine river should be prevented from being of the greatest benefit
to the country through which it runs, all owing to the "cruives," the
"stake nets," "bag nets," and every other destructive invention that
can be contrived for the wholesale slaughter of the splendid Salmon. Oh!
look to it, you that have the power.
From Limerick the angler may proceed to Athlone and Galway, but I should
advise him to proceed to the south first, and fish the Blackwater and
the lakes of Killarney; Mr. Jas. Butler has prohibited the fishing at
Waterville this spring, in consequence, as he says, "of the numbers
visiting, coupled with acts of poaching." I should say the lake is free,
as it always was and ever has been, knowing that Mr. Butler is most
polite to gentlemen.
FOOTNOTE:
[Footnote B: Net.]
THE LAKES OF KILLARNEY.
From Mallow, on the Blackwater, the angler proceeds to Killarney. It
would be as well to go to Lismore, farther down from Mallow, where there
is good Salmon fishing to be had; there is a Mr. Foley here (who rents
the "weirs" of the Duke of Devonshire), he is most polite to strangers,
and allows them to fish in the weirs, which are of some extent; and most
of the Gentlemen residing on its banks, from Lismore up, will allow the
stranger to fly-fish through their grounds, send their keepers to shew
them the best places, and are most hospitable and polite. At the
Killarney junction, Mallow, the angler takes his seat, and in a little
time is delighted with the sight of the Lakes. I visited Killarney in
1848, on an angling excursion in Ireland, to recruit my fallen spirits,
if possible, after many years of industrious labour, "and it is myself
that would advise the sickly to go there, if he had legs to walk on,"
says poor Pat.
To my great disappointment at the time, the Lakes were netted by their
respective owners, which rather damped my spirits after going so far "a
fishing"--my sport there was but inferior. It is not so now, many thanks
to Lord Kenmare and Mr. Herbert, who have put a stop to the netting and
other contrivances, to the delight of the anglers and inn keepers of the
neighbourhood. I have been given to understand that the Salmon fishing
is capital now in the lakes and river. At Ennisfallen Island there is a
favourite cast, and another between that and Ross Island; another to the
south west of it; towards Mucruss Abbey, to the north-east, there is
good water for the fly, and in "Glena" bay, all of which the boatmen
will show. At the latter place parties dine, in a very beautiful
situation at the foot of the hill, sheltered by trees to the water's
edge. On the west side of it is shown a curiosity--a holly, a thorn, a
birch, a hazel, an ash, and an oak, so curiously entwined, that they
appear as one tree; at this place there is a good fishery, at the
cottage they cut the salmon into pieces, skewer them with arbutus, and
roast them over a turf fire; they say arbutus gives them a fine flavour.
Between Brickeen Bridge and the Upper Lake there is good fishing, in the
narrow gorge between the lakes; the charges of boats, &c., have been
regulated, so that they cannot now impose upon visitors. The scenery in
the vicinity of "Brickeen Bridge" and the Eagle's Nest is sublime, and
must delight the heart of the Angler who may be seeking health and
pastime, either by himself or with his dear admiring friends.
There is not a table, either in inn or lodging house in the town of
Killarney, wanting a Guide to the Lakes, written by some intelligent
person or other, so that the angler cannot go astray.
There are numerous good inns in the town and neighbourhood, the people
and landlords of which are polite, civil, and obliging to strangers, as
are the guides and boatmen.
There is a Miss Smith, in New Street, who keeps a comfortable lodging,
the most honest creature I ever came across, go to her, you gentle ones.
The delightful Island of Ennisfallen, which used to be my favourite spot
during my stay, would be a kind of Heaven on Earth to the invalid; it is
covered with verdure and beautiful large trees, the arbutus, &c. There
is a thorn growing through a tomb stone, a holly fourteen feet thick, a
curious crab tree, and the bed of honour, which the guides say if you
lie down in it, having no children up to the present time, "your honor
will be sure to have plenty of them after your return home."--This place
is a hollow about the size of a large bed, in a projecting rock
over-hung with holly and hawthorn. In an aperture in the "crab tree" the
guides recommend ladies to pass. There are ruins of a once celebrated
Abbey here, founded in an early date of St. Finian.
The annals of Ennisfallen comprise a history of the world up to A.D.
430, and a history of Ireland up to 1320. They are preserved in Trinity
College, Dublin. There is an enormous ash tree growing out of the floor
of the abbey. It is unquestionably a healthy spot, and soon excites an
appetite by inhaling its salubrious air.
The remains of the once beautiful edifice "Mucruss Abbey" is well worth
seeing, as the ravages of death, which were once too prominent, have
been cleared away by the humane Mr. Herbert, so that there may be a
close inspection made of the ruins; the architecture of the eastern
window is admirable; and the extraordinary "yew tree" growing in the
centre of the ancient cloisters and over-spreading its walls is curious
in the extreme, in the fork of the yew, above the great trunk, there is
a kind of unctuous gum constantly flowing down, which is said by the
peasantry that "the yew is shedding tears for the fate of the abbey."
The Salmon flies to suit the Lakes, are Nos. 2, 4, 5, and 6, 8 and 9 the
two at the bottom of the plate with "picker," and No. 4 plate on Salmon
hooks, the paintings of which are exact to the models. The three latter
flies are, first, a cinnamon-brown body, brown wings, and brown red
hackle, mixed tail; second, a jointed body fly of blue and green, gaudy
mixed wing, topping in the tail--this fly may be used in very rough
water, and the brown one with a nice ripple and grey cloud; the No. 4
fly on Salmon hooks, is mallard wings, fiery brown body ribbed with
gold, brown red hackle, hook No. 6, B, CC, and a yellow and red mixed
tail. The Dun Salmon Fly, No 6, and the one above it, No 5, are
favourite killers in the lakes and river.
My advise is, that my friends (I call every angler who reads this book a
friend), should beware of the "mountain dew"[C] and goat's milk, sold by
the damsels of Killarney, in the vicinity of Brickeen Bridge, and the
Eagle's nest; they are harmless and cleanly creatures, but their
importunity to taste their goat's milk is teasing--buy their goat's
milk, but reject their "dew," gentle fishers.
The river "Lane," which issues out of the Lower Lake, as it is now
preserved by the inn keepers, is a capital stream for salmon and sea
trout fishing; about four miles from Killarney, at the Bridge leading to
"Dunloe Gap," is a good place to begin to fish, either up or down the
river; the trout in both lakes and river are as yellow as gold when
taken out of the water, they are spotted over with beautiful brown-red
marks, and are very handsome to look at.
The Trout Flies in the list will be found excellent for the lakes and
river. A grouse hackle, with orange silk body, and a little strip of
grey partridge tail for wings--this with the ant brown, hare's ear, and
amber fly; the red dun, caperer, wren and cuckoo hackle, and duns of
various shades and size, ribbed with silver. The land-rail fly,
brown-red hackle, and ash fox, an orange body with black hackle from the
tail up, and starling wings. The silver dun, with grey mallard wings,
mixed with the wing of the bunting lark, ribbed with silver, and tail of
the hackle fibres, the body yellow dun--this is a great favourite made
of sea-trout size for the river, and large for salmon in the lakes. The
sand and cinnamon flies are also good, and the red spinner; the winged
larva is an excellent fly below the Bridge, allowed to sink a little
beneath the surface when fished with, grilse and sea-trout will take it.
The river Lane is remarkable for its firm footing along the banks, and
no where obstructed by trees, it is the most pleasant place I ever saw
for fishing, combined with wild and fanciful scenery.
FOOTNOTE:
[Footnote C: Whiskey--Oh! whiskey, whiskey,--cruel whiskey, you are the
cause of poor Pat's giant poverty, you have rushed in upon him like one
armed. Oh! thou accursed evil spirit.]
LOUGH CURRAN, WATERVILLE.
The angler may proceed any morning he feels disposed, to Waterville
river and lake, southwest of Killarney, in the County Kerry; there is a
car from the Kenmare Arms Hotel about eight o'clock in the morning,
passing through Killorglan at the foot of the river Lane, which you have
in view up to this place; Three miles farther on you come to the river
"Corra," where there is an Inn, at the Bridge, for the accommodation of
anglers, and where they may procure capital sea-trout and small grilse
fishing; the lake Carra, out of which the river flows, is seen to the
left before reaching the river at the bridge. It would be worth while
staying a few days at this place, as the sea-trout fishing is beyond
comparison, below the bridge to the sea, and above it as far as the
lake, and also in the lake. The flies I have just named will kill well
in the Carra, with a small black one, like a midge, ribbed with silver,
with a honey dun fly made very small.
You reach "Cahirceveen" in about eight hours from Killarney, from whence
you take a car eight miles further on to Waterville, where you arrive
comfortably in the evening to rest and have a talk with Mr. Butler, the
proprietor of the "cuts;" the angler will find him most civil and
polite, and on asking you get instant permission to angle for salmon in
the river, and "keep all you catch" which has been a general rule for a
length of time; the lake is free for salmon and trout fishing, it
abounds with fine sea-trout, which appear to be continually running up
between the bars of the "cruives." The river is very small, having but
one pool in it close to the sea for salmon, the run of it is very short
as the lake and sea almost meet, they are separated merely by a neck of
land on which the bridge and "cuts" are erected, about three or four
perches altogether. There is good sport to be had in the lake and river
when it is flooded, and the angler will find every convenience with
respect to men and boats; there are two inns in the place, at least when
I was there in 1848, there were two.
The flies for Waterville are the same as those I have just given, except
for salmon in the river, which should be very plain and sombre, they are
brown bodies, with dark hackles over a roll or two of gold tinsel, and
brown turkey wings of a reddish hue; small blue flies, with gaudy wings,
ribbed with silver, and black heads, the hackle to be dyed blue, and
floss silk body, hook No. 10 or C. CC. When the water is up they will
take Nos. 3, 4, and 5 flies in the plates; and the fly No. 11 is most
excellent. They use a good sized fly in the lake for trout, when I
fished it my flies were of the smaller sort, and in the hot sun the
trout took small amber flies best with me. The local flies were
darker--say drake size, with brown bodies, black hackles, and turkey
wings, nevertheless they take them in a windy day exceedingly quick, and
in a very short time the fishermen in the boats catch a large dish of
them, say in about a hour; the trout and grilse in this lake I must say
are most delicious, "they almost melt in the mouth," says he.
The angler, when he gets tired here, may return to Killarney, and make
head for the west and north, "and sure enough he may have another throw
on the lakes, if he pleases, by way of bidding them good bye."
He might take a start before he goes across the hills to Kenmare, by
car, and have a day or two on the river Blackwater, usually called
"Kerry Blackwater;" it is about eight miles from Kenmare, on the
south-west side of the estuary of that name, on the road to "Derrynane
Beg," or Derrynane Abbey. There is an inn on the river as you cross the
road, but no town. The angler might go to it for a day or so from
Waterville, by hiring a car at the inn, there and back. He will have an
opportunity of seeing the mansion of the late Mr. D. O'Connell, at
Derrynane, as he passes it to his right off the road, in a most healthy
situation, sequestered amongst dwarf trees of the most fanciful
appearance, close to a bay of the sea, or what is called "Kenmare
River," the salt water of which is as clear as crystal.
The flies used on this prolific little river are brown bodies, three
ribs of gold tinsel, black hackles, and grouse and mallard wings; but I
would strongly advise the angler to have some of the small flies made
smaller still for this river, than in the plates of flies. A very small
blue jay, a silver grey or "hedgehog fly," with a small black one ribbed
with silver, are all good for this stream.
The angler returns to old Killarney, and takes rail for Limerick, from
thence by steam to Athlone, on the "Great Western;" there are fine Trout
and Salmon here in summer. Go on from here to Galway, and fly fish Lough
Carib (the river, I believe, is now broken up to facilitate the
navigation between the bay and this grand expanse of fresh water). There
are very large Trout to be met with in the Lough, and every
accommodation respecting fishermen and boats at the town. The angler
will find it very pleasant for a day or two's fish in the lake, with a
ripple on the water and a grey cloud above.
CONNAMARA AND BALLYNAHINCH.
In this western region there are some beautiful lakes and rivers, once
celebrated for the abundance of Salmon and Trout which they contained,
but, alas! the "weirs" and nets have "wed" them all away, to the grief
of the tourist angler, who might have enjoyed the "wild sports of the
west." So he will yet, for there is a reformation to take place that
will restore them to their pristine numbers both in lake and river. They
are about to take down the "weirs," and net the bays, which will not
only give the Salmon a free passage up, but augment them a
hundred-fold,--then, "hurrah for Connamara, the land of the west." Derry
Clare Lake is a good one for the fly, so is Lough Inna, and above and
below the "weirs." If the generous proprietors of the fishery would
consult upon the subject, they would immediately put a stop to the
obstructions, if not, it it is quite impossible that there can be good
fishing up to Lough Inna. Thirty gentlemen might fly fish these waters
without the least inconvenience, were the Salmon allowed to go free.
The Salmon Flies for Connamara are rather small and plain; various
brown, black, red, olive, and orange flies kill well, ribbed with gold
and silver. Those Sea-Trout ones, described for Waterville, do also
well, and orange floss silk, ribbed with gold, small topping for tail,
jay round the head, and mallard mixed wings. Hook C or CC.
A small black fly, yellow tag, topping for tail, rib of silver, teal,
and golden pheasant neck, breast feather of the peacock wing, mixed,
blue feelers of macaw, jay at the shoulder. Hook B, or No. 9. A green
body, ribbed with gold, black red hackle, orange macaw, or cock of the
rock feather in the tail, short; a nice mixed gaudy wing, with a good
deal of mallard and wood-duck prevailing, or silver pheasant wing, the
hen bird is best. C, CC or B hook; vary the size for high and low water.
A small claret fly, and the three flies in the Plates, Nos. 3, 4, and 5,
with No. 11, all made on small hooks, these are the sorts to kill. The
Sea-Trout ones are very small black and red hackles, grouse and wren
hackles, dun flies, and little brown ants, hare's ear and yellow,
silver greys, and the small flies enumerated in the catalogue. Use a
sixteen feet salmon rod, and single gut casting lines, with one or two
twisted lengths next to the reel line, which should be plaited silk and
hair. There are plenty of boats and boatmen to be had at Ballynahinch
River and Lakes, all civil fellows, and if used with common kindness and
decency, they will confess that "the English anglers are the best
fellows in the whole world,--Good luck to their honors. Long life to
their honors."
The scenery of this wild country is quite equal to any in Scotland, if
the intelligent tourist angler would be at the pains of penetrating into
the mountainous regions which surround Connamara. The islands in the
bays are interesting and beautiful, as well as the stupendous hills
standing up in order like giants, as it were, to bid defiance to the
wild waves of the great Atlantic.
Ireland is proverbial for the finest breeding rivers in the world for
Salmon and Trout, in no country can there be found such splendid rivers
and lakes for Salmon; see, for instance, the rivers Shannon, Erin, Bann,
and the stupendous lakes out of which they issue, and of which, it is
sufficient to show, that at "Burn Cranna," two miles below Coleraine,
with the cross nets, three tons of Salmon were caught in one day by the
fishermen some years back. This will give an idea of what the rivers in
Ireland, in general, can produce. The Bann is preserved in the right
season for the fry to come to perfection in great shoals, and from March
till August the nets and "cruives" are worked.
The flavour and quality of the Irish Salmon far exceed those of any
other part of the United Kingdom, for when the fish are sent up from the
north to the London markets they often lose their flavour, if not
properly packed in the ice boxes; how can it be otherwise, when the
distance is considered. The real Salmon of the Tweed, Tay, and Spay, are
delicious, through the quickness of transit.
Above Ballynahinch are seen the "Twelve Pins," or rocky precipices of
"Beanabola." On the right of this mountainous road, beyond Ballynahinch,
opposite the beautiful island of "Ennisbofine," are seen green mountain
heights of great elevation, with romantic winding vallies, rivers, and
views, that strike the heart with admiration.
There is a large river in this neighbourhood, called the "Owen Rieve,"
which abounds with Salmon, and falls into the sea south of Clue Bay. At
the head of the Bay, a short way up, there is a Salmon Fishery, but no
inn.
BALLYNA.
The angler may now proceed to the river Moy, at Ballyna, in the County
of Mayo, a celebrated place for ages for Salmon fishing with the fly,
and also a place where he may find every facility for insuring sport by
the kind and obliging conduct of the renter of the "cruives," or cuts,
who politely allows the angler to fish where he pleases, on condition
that he gives up his fish save one per day, which he may freely reserve
for himself, and as a trophy of his success, have the honor of "cutting
it pink" by a good turf fire, tired after the day's sport, washing it
down with a smoking hot tumbler of "whiskey punch," drinking the health
of the Queen, and success to the arms of our brave countrymen in the
East.
Lough Con will be found also good, but the trout fishing is best in
it--fly fish the river for salmon. It is about ten miles up to the
southwest, and in it may be caught with the fly, the gilla-roe trout
that have gizzards, the same as in Lough Derg on the Shannon. From the
town of Ballyna up to Foxford, eight miles distant, is all capital water
for salmon; there are plenty of boats to be had, and those who do not
like a boat may fish from the shore; the salmon will rise and take the
fly in every part of this water, so that the angler cannot go astray.
The flies in use here are rather plain than gaudy, except in the spring,
like all other rivers, they must be larger and more of a gaudy hue.
A claret body, claret hackle and gold rib, tail a small topping, an
orange tag rather tapered to the shoulder, jay at head, mallard wings
mixed with blue and yellow macaw, neck feather of the golden pheasant, a
topping over all, guinea hen, teal, and blue macaw feelers each side
with a kingfisher, hook CC, 9, or BB.
[Illustration: Plate of 7 Flies and Salmon.]
A fly, with a fiery brown floss silk body, black ostrich tag, hackle of
the same colour as body, rib of gold, tail of topping, mallard, golden
pheasant tail, neck, and red rump feathers mixed, a blue jay or small
guinea hen feather at the shoulder, hook No. 9, or B in low water.
A blue body, blue jay over it, tag of orange floss, topping for tail,
the hackle to be made full by another jay at the shoulder, under which
roll a piece of orange pig-hair and pick it out well through the jay;
the wings to be mixed ones with a topping in the centre; scarlet macaw
feelers, and black head; hook No. 9 and B; rib the body with silver
tinsel, and let it be the same colour as the jay.
These with Nos. 1, 3, 4, and 5, in the plates of flies for salmon will
be found excellent. No. 11 is a good one; and a fly made with black silk
body ribbed with silver twist, a very small topping in the tail, mixed
with a sprig or two of guinea hen and Ibis, a small guinea hen hackle
over the body and cut slantingly underneath the body to be longer at the
shoulder, and a black or peacock head with a small blue jay round it;
wings mixed with dark mallard, teal, neck feather, blue and yellow
macaw, and a strip or two of wood-duck each side, and a fibre or two of
peacock neck and white spotted wing feather, hook CC, B. If these flies
are attended to, they will kill when many others fail; do not lose your
sport and time, keep to what I say.
BALLYSHANNON.
From Ballyna the angler may proceed to the Erne, at Ballyshannon, by
coach, where he will find, on his arrival, a beautiful river, and every
accommodation he requires; it is a short running river, with a deep and
rapid current, about three or four miles in length; at the town of
Bellick it flows out of the grand expanse of Lough Erne, fifty miles in
length, and in some parts twelve in width.
The salmon leap of Ballyshannon, is a broad body of water falling over a
perpendicular rock twelve feet high, up which the salmon run, showing
their dark backs through the foaming water, and again falling back into
the pool below after many attempts to surmount it; they seldom leap
clean up out of the water, but in general I have seen them rushing up
through the falling current, which shows the extraordinary strength they
possess. I have remarked that they always remain a day or two in the
first pool they come to after their ascent, and in this they take the
fly most greedily, generally at the head of the leap.
The fishermen sweep the river with nets below the leap, and the enormous
quantities they take is most surprising, still there is abundance in the
river; in summer in consequence of the netting, of course the salmon are
not so plentiful up the river. The fish house stands on an island, which
may be seen from the bridge of fourteen arches, and in the distance the
sea views are grand.
There is capital fishing below the bridge, and many fine salmon throws
or haunts all the way up to Belleek; this town is finely situated on the
north of Lough Erne, where it begins to discharge its waters into the
channel which conveys them into the bay of Donnegal.
The river at this place has a fall of twenty feet, forming a beautiful
scene, enriched by foliage and steep precipices. The trout fishing here
is good.
The river Erne has a long course, the source of which is "Lough
Gonnagh," in the County Longford, a short way from "Lough Sheelin," and
the celebrated Lakes of West Meath. It then enters "Lough Oughter," in
the County Cavan, after a serpentine course of eighteen or twenty miles,
although the distance between the lakes is only eight miles; after
passing through this lake, it takes another winding course of the same
distance, passing Belturbet, an ancient town on its banks, it then
enters the upper Lough Erne, and falls into the sea at Ballyshannon.
Seeing the abundance of fish which these grand lakes, and clear running
streams throughout the country produce, it is not at all to be wondered
at the quantities taken at Ballyshannon.
The flies in use here are very gaudy, Nos. 1, 2, and 3, in the plates,
will be found capital killers, and up to No. 11 in fine days in summer
when the water is low.
There is another good killer which I will here describe:--body yellow
brown mohair, ribbed with silver twist, puce tag, topping for tail with
a little scarlet ibis mixed, a good dyed yellow hackle rolled over the
body, and a scarlet hackle round the head; the wings are four toppings
with strips of summer duck, a sprig or two of pheasant tail and neck, a
strip of dyed white tipped turkey tail, and a sprig of guinea hen and
glede or kite tail, the tail feather of the hen Hymalean pheasant is as
good as what is called in Scotland "salmon tail glede," and the topping
or crest of the cock bird which is a transparent scarlet colour, and
like a topping of the golden pheasant stands over all; blue kingfisher
each side, and scarlet macaw feelers, black ostrich head, hook No. 9 or
8 in high water. This is a magnificent specimen of a salmon fly, and
cannot be made properly at a small expense, either by the amateur
himself who buys his foreign feathers, or by the fly-maker who gets his
bread by it. The three flies in the plates Nos. 1, 2, and 3, will be
found to do the work well. With this one, see the gaudy jointed fly in
the plate, with "picker" at top.
THE RIVERS BUSH AND BANN.
From Ballyshannon the angler proceeds to the Enniskillen and Derry
railway, where he takes his seat for Coleraine; on arriving at this town
he need not expect much fishing, except that he may take a throw at the
head of the leap, and take also a view of that stupendous fall of fresh
water which there can be little doubt of its surprising him, with the
grand and delightful scenes around. When he gets on the suspension
bridge, over the very top of the leap, he must hold by the rails to
steady himself, and consider where he really is; the noise which the
great body of water in the centre fall makes, when it descends into the
pool beneath, dins his very ears, this with the broad rapid running
river close beneath his feet as he stands on the light iron bridge,
holding by a single rail with his hand, must almost take his sight away;
and if he never had the pleasure of seeing the shadow of fear before,
rely upon it he feels himself in a fearful plight just then "for a short
time any how."
On the County Derry side the falls are not so strong, and on these the
"cuts" are erected, for no salmon could surmount the centre fall, and
these "cuts" are so high from the top of the leap, that the salmon
cannot get over them even in floods, except by mere chance. This
productive fishery belongs to the London Fishmongers' Company, on
application the stranger will be allowed on the bridge to view the
falls, and at the same time he will see the traps crowded with salmon of
all sizes, from the small "graul," as they call them there, to the
largest size salmon; sometimes the fish can hardly swim in these "cuts"
or "cruives" they are so numerous, what a treat for the eyes of the fly
fisher to behold. The angler may fly fish at will, and has his choice
either to go up the Bann to Kilrea, or go first to the Bush river, it is
only seven miles from Coleraine to Bush Mills, so that as he is now in
that town it would be advisable to try his hand at the Bush first, and
then proceed to Kilrea, on the Bann, about fourteen miles up that river,
by car.
When the angler arrives at Bush Mills, which he will do in an hour from
Coleraine, the inn keeper will make him acquainted with the rules of
the fishing. The river is now in possession of a club of gentlemen, who
will with great pleasure allow the stranger to fly fish.
It will be necessary to have a guide, who will show you all the best
throws for salmon; and when tired of fishing, point out the "Causeway"
to you, which is two miles from the town. The best of the fishing
extends about two miles--one mile below the town to the sea, and one
mile above it at the salmon leap.
There are some good throws on the top of the leap, and towards the tail
of the large pool beneath; another famous throw between that and the
town called "Lagan Drade;" at the top of this long pool there are two
large stones projecting out of the water, between which the current of
the stream rushes violently, in this rapid place between the stones the
fish will take the fly, and below the stones along the left side of the
Bush, and on the rising ground at the foot of the pool; if you can
manage to throw well over the bushes you will be very apt to hook a
salmon in the mid-water. There is another good throw below the bridge;
the deepest part lying along the gardens, and three or four more
between that and the sea; there is a large stone lies in the middle of
the river, over which the water may be seen boiling, if you can manage
to throw beyond it, and draw the fly across it letting it fall a little
below it, you will have a chance to hook a fish immediately. Just below
this stone, a little way from the sea, at a narrow part of the river, is
another capital place, fish it from the right side and do not come
abruptly upon the place or the fish will see you, which will prevent
them from rising, but this you can avoid, as you will see this
contracted part from the stone throw; prepare a good fly before you come
up, and keep as far off it as possible. It is a shelving elbow shaped
rock narrowing the river, so that your fly must be gradually moved down
commencing a few yards above the elbow rock, which cannot be seen as the
grass grows on it to the very edge, till you look over it into the
water; just as the fly rounds the point all the fish see it that are
lying under the brow of the hollow rock, where you may expect a rise;
this is the deepest part of the whole river, and the first resting place
for the fish after leaving the sea.
In this place the depth of the water requires a bright fly; the
following one will prove a killer:--Body, orange floss silk, a small
topping for tail with a fibre or two of mallard, ribbed with fine gold
tinsel, and a rich brown-red cock's hackle from the tail up, not too
long in the fibres, the hackle to be a little black at the head when
rolled on; the wing of copper brown mallard with a strip of wood-duck
each side, and a topping over all; feelers of macaw, and a black ostrich
head. Hook CC. Should you rise a fish with this old favorite, and it
does not take, try him once or twice more with it, and no doubt you will
have him. If he does not hook himself with it, change it for a light
blue one, the body the blue colour of the sky, legs the same, and a
mallard wing ribbed with gold.
You now come to the sea, at "Bushfoot." There is a pool here into which
the tide ebbs and flows, and at times the fish are plunging over and
over on the top of each other, which the fishermen net when this is the
case. When the tide is out the Salmon will rise and take the fly in it
freely, as the flowing of the river into it pushes out the brackish
water before it, and when the tide is flowing, before it enters the
pool, is the best time,--in fact, this is the best place to stay at for
the sole purpose of being enabled to fish, as the river above is so low
in summer, except after rains, that it is useless to try.
The Castle of old "Dunluce" is near Bushfoot, it stands on a rock close
to the cliff on the mainland in the sea, and is built on the surface or
top of the rock, close to its very edge all round, and the corner stones
appear to have been brought from the Giant's Causeway. There is a deep
chasm between the castle and the land, over which the range wall of the
old bridge is yet standing; the bridge itself is completely gone. This
narrow wall, about fourteen inches wide, may be easily crossed going
into the castle, but on recrossing it to the land side it strikes terror
into the heart. Some years ago I visited this old ruin, and crossed the
wall into it quite easily and fearlessly, but on my returning, to my
great surprise, I was afraid of my life to recross it. The cause was, no
doubt, that the wall and yawning chasm appeared more under me on coming
out than on going in, the wall being narrow and the chasm deep. At last
I crept over it very slowly on my hands and knees, and it was with
difficulty I reached the land. As I sat panting on the grass, looking
towards the dark old pile, I vowed that the walls of "Dunluce Castle"
should never again hold me. I was most likely stricken with a fairy
talisman.
The "GIANT'S CAUSEWAY" is two miles from Bushfoot, where the stranger
may spend a few pleasant days with a kind friend, amidst rocks and
caves, glens and tremendous cliffs, causeways, chasms, and pillars of
wondrous height. These rows of pillars stand up the face of the cliff,
which is 360 feet high, from the base of which three broad causeways
extend, of honeycomb shape, nine hundred feet into the sea. The pillars
of these low causeways are generally six, seven, and many three and
nine-sided, and as even as if they had been cut with a chisel; they rest
one upon another in joints, the top one round to fit into the one
beneath like a socket, and the pillars are so closely packed, that you
can hardly get the point of a knife between them. There are other
pillars in the face of the cliffs, called the Giant's Loom, the Giant's
Chair, the Giant's Organ, and the Giant's Well. The natural wildness
and grandeur of these and the adjoining promontories, exceed any thing
that can be imagined.
THE RIVER BANN.
Portna is considered the best ford for Salmon and Trout fishing on this
noble stream. At this place, which is merely an inn, kept by a Mr.
Moore, for the accommodation of anglers, the river, which is a large
one, falls over ledges of rock, large stones, broad fords of gravel,
deep gorges in places, rushing down inclined pla
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