THE FANCIES OF THE TROUT 131 



taken on it, and in the end a big one went away 

 with it in his jaw. I had not another teal and 

 red, so put on the nearest thing to it a nondescript 

 teal and claret. But the trout would not have 

 it, though the difference between teal and red 

 and teal and claret is merely the difference of 

 a shade. Thus in one loch teal and red and blue 

 Zulu were treated with a cold indifference, and teal 

 and green was seized with gustatory zest ; while 

 in the other, teal and red was accepted with 

 avidity, while teal and green, grouse and claret, 

 and teal and claret were all presented in vain. 



This, as I have said, is no uncommon experi- 

 ence, for every angler who habitually fishes High- 

 land lochs can recall many one -fly days when all 

 other flies are as untempting as bull-beef to a 

 Spaniard. But the experience is none the less 

 puzzling on that account, and none of the many 

 theories offered to explain it some of them offered 

 with extraordinary cocksureness satisfies many 

 besides their authors. What may be called the 

 fly -on-the -water theory is probably first favourite 

 among them all, but there are many occasions, at 

 any rate, when it will not do. On the day referred 

 to I was particularly attentive to the fly on the 

 water, and it for one abounded and others were 

 extremely rare presented no sort of resemblance 

 to teal and red or teal and green, the successful 

 lures. This abounding fly was a blae, and rested 

 on the surface with upright wings. An upright 

 Greenwell would have imitated it very closely ; 

 but I did not try a Greenwell, partly because it 

 is a bother to change flies, but chiefly because 



