THE CREEPER THE MAY-FLY. 87 



something of the appearance of a beetle, and is some- 

 times called the water-cricket. It is fished with pre- 

 cisely like worm in clear water, and in the same kind 

 of water; although in the end of April, when it comes 

 into use, it may sometimes be used with advantage in 

 deeper streams. It may be baited upon a common 

 worm hook, passed through it sideways and back again, 

 or upon a couple of hooks of a smaller size, one of 

 them sideways through the shoulders, and the other 

 in the same way through the lower part of the body. 

 Towards the end of May it is a most effective bait for 

 large tronts, when brought skilfully into the eddies 

 behind stones and under banks. We have heard of 

 several dozens of trout, averaging fully a pound each, 

 being taken by it by a single rod in the Tweed in one 

 day. 



About the beginning of June the creeper developes 

 into the MAY-FLY a name which on the Borders 

 designates the stone-fly, and not the true May-fly or 

 green drake (Ephemera vulgata.) The creeper then, 

 after having lived solely in the water (although able 

 to live for a considerable time out of it), walks out into 

 the channel at the water-side, throws off another shell, 

 gets large brown wings, and becomes a denizen of the 

 dry land. In this state, few large trout are able to 

 resist it as it floats down the river ; and, when care- 

 fully fished with, on any day during the short fortnight 

 or three weeks in which it is to be found, it will always 

 command a basketful of the best trouts. Using a very 

 fine line, and casting up-stream, so as to let it come 

 down to him, the angler must carefully watch it, and 

 strike pretty sharply when his line stops if the fly is 



