s on the water. At this
time the best hours for fishing are the middle ones of the day, however
hot and bright they may be, for in the earlier and later hours the fly
is not on the water. I have never found, as a rule, that very late or
very early hours are favourable on this river during this month, except
just at the place where the river leaves the lake, which is usually good
in the evening, especially after a very hot day. The best fly at this
time is one tied to resemble as nearly as possible the living salmon
fly; but if the natural fly is not on the water, others may be tried,
such as the Jock Scott, the Silver Doctor, Wilkinson, March Brown and
other well-known flies. Some local men swear by a claret body, others
prefer a yellow or green; but, whatever fly is used, I believe that it
should have plenty of hackle and body, and be of good size (Nos. 4 and
5); small flies are not advisable.

Great bags must not, as a rule, be expected on the Thompson; fifteen to
twenty good fish is an excellent bag on this river. Mr. F.J. Fulton, of
Kamloops, who has fished this river more than anyone else, has never
done better than twenty-four fish; but these twenty-four fish would be
48lb., and ought to include at least a couple of fish about 4lb. apiece.
On the Thompson the angler must carry his own fish, besides climbing up
and down some very steep banks under the glare of a northern sun, whose
heat is increased tenfold by the water and the bare rocks. Such a day's
fishing is no mean trial of endurance, while the fierceness of the
stream will generally account for a good percentage of lost fish. With
regard to the falling off of sport in August, it may be quite possible
that the salmon may really have nothing to do with the poorness of
fishing at this time, but that the real reason may be that the fish are
fat and gorged with the abundance of fly and grasshopper, and lie
lazily, deep in the pools. In other parts of British Columbia fishing is
poor at this time, and in waters the salmon cannot reach. And this
reasoning is rather borne out by the fact that towards the end of August
or beginning of September the fish begin to take again, though the
salmon are still running in vast numbers. One of the best catches I ever
saw taken from the Thompson (thirty-six fish) was got in early October,
and the trout rose up among the travelling masses of salmon and took the
fly.

Every part of the Thompson is fishable to below Spence's Bridg