110 THE COMPLETE ANGLER 



and in deeper water, in winter than in summer ; and 

 also nearer the bottom in any cold day, and then gets 

 nearest the lee side of the water. 



But I promised to tell you more of the fly-fishing 

 for a trout, which I may have time enough to do, for 

 you see it rains May-butter. First, for a May-fly, you 

 may make his body with greenish-coloured crewel or 

 willowish colour ; darkening it in most places with 

 waxed silk, or ribbed with black hair, or some of them 

 ribbed with silver thread ; and such wings for the colour, 

 as you see the fly to have at that season, nay, at that 

 very day, on the water. Or you may make the oak-fly, 

 with an orange tawny, and black ground, and the brown 

 of a mallard's feather for the wings ; and you are to 

 know, that these two are most excellent flies, that is, 

 the May-fly and the oak-fly. And let me again tell 

 you that you keep as far from the water as you can 

 possibly, whether you fish with a fly or worm, and fish 

 down the stream : and when you fish with a fly, if it be 

 possible, let no part of your line touch the water,* but 

 your fly only ; and be still moving your fly upon the 

 water, or casting it into the water, you yourself being 

 also always moving down the stream. 



Mr. Barker commends several sorts of the palmer-flies, 

 not only those ribbed with silver and gold, but others 

 that have their bodies all made of black, or some with 

 red, and a red hackle ; you may also make the hawthorn- 

 fly, which is all black, and not big, but very small, the 

 smaller the better; or the oak-fly, the body of which 

 is orange colour and black crewel, with a brown wing ; 

 or a fly made with a peacock's feather is excellent in a 

 bright day. You must be sure you want not in your 

 magazine bag, the peacock's feather, and grounds of such 

 wool and crewel as will make the grasshopper ; and note, 



* This is impossible, unless you dib with the artificial as with the 

 natural ily, which is never practised. E. 



