56 FISHERMAN'S LURES 



apex of their abundance is about the first week 

 in June, when over two hundred species of insects 

 change from the creeper state at the bed of the 

 river or lake to rise above the surface for one to 

 three days, solely to perpetuate their species and 

 then die. During that period all the trout family 

 feed and gorge, night and day, taking on flesh 

 and sleekness to a greater extent than at any other 

 part of the year. No matter whether you capture 

 trout at early morn or late at eve, their stomachs 

 are crammed full of undigested insects. 



As long as insects rise, so long do trout feed. 

 From June the fourteenth the vast number of 

 insects rapidly declines, until at midsummer and 

 ' during the hot season, aquatic insects are rarely 

 seen during the daytime, and trout are then al- 

 most impossible to capture with artificial flies. 

 Many anglers are puzzled at this curious condi- 

 tion. Just the very time the fisherman wants his 

 vacation and goes fishing, he is confronted with 

 the annoying fact that trout are sluggishly in- 

 clined to his flies during the daytime. His only 

 chance of success is while trout are visibly feeding 

 for a short time between sunset and dark. The 

 puzzled and vexed angler may be interested to 

 know that aquatic insects are extremely sensitive 



