42 MISCHIEF OF RAPIDLY WORKING THE FLY. 



are more compressed than they are by any other 

 motion. The motion I have called the sinking 

 one, is the most attractive of the three, because 

 its effect is fuller development of the colours of 

 the fly, and fuller action — I may almost say separate 

 action — to each of the fly's component parts. 



Now, if the up-and-down and drawing-in 

 motions are performed roughly and rapidly, the 

 effect, or rather one of the effects will be, constant 

 compression of the fibres of the wing and hackle 

 feathers, and of the hairs, be they of mohair, or 

 pig's wool, or fur, of which the body is made. 

 By this compression shades of colour are hidden, 

 and nearly all the beauties of the most seductively 

 mixed wing are obscured. The full wing and the 

 full body are attenuated injuriously by water- 

 pressure. Certainly, no matter how rapid the 

 upward and downward motion of the fly may be, 

 its fibres must open as they descend against the 

 water ; but their colours are displayed for so brief 

 a period, that the fish has not had sufficient 

 time to distinguish them. The rapid motion be- 

 tween the heaving and setting of the fly draws it 

 so swiftly towards you, that few fish are fleet 

 enough to overtake it, and if they are, they will 

 be, I fancy, disinclined to make use of extra- 

 ordinary effort to do so. 



