298 THE COMPLETE ANGLER 



the feather of a brown hen is best, which fly is taken 

 till the tenth of April. 



[Trout take flies eagerly this month, chiefly in sharp, 

 gravelly, somewhat shallow streams. On their bottoms 

 they lie to clean themselves by friction against sand 

 and gravel, to feed on small fish, etc., and to enjoy the 

 watery element, more oxygenated than deep pools, by 

 the action of a spring-tide sun's rays. The best flies for 

 this month are, 



No. 1. HOFLAND'S FANCY. Wings, woodcock's wing- 

 feather ; legs, bright red cock's hackle ; body, dark, 

 brown-red floss silk ; tail, two fibres of the red hackle. 

 Hook, No. 10. This is a standard fly for all the trout 

 streams of the metropolitan counties. 



No. 2. THE RED SPINNER. Wings, light brown 

 mallard ; body, scarlet mohair, ribbed with thin gold 

 wire ; legs, blood-red hackle ; tail, two fibres of the 

 same. Hooks, 9 and 10. 



No. 3. Wings, a field-fare's wing-feather ; body, orange- 

 coloured floss silk, over which, in close, regular laps from 

 tail to shoulder, a furnace-hackle, that is a cock's neck- 

 feather, the outer part of the fibres of which are of a pure 

 dark red, the inner part, next the stem of the feather, 

 being quite black. It is a most valuable feather. Hook, 

 No. 10. An excellent general fly. 



No. 4. Wings, hen pheasant's wing-feather ; legs, a 

 dun hackle, with dark bars ; body, light-blue fur of the 

 water-rat, mixed with yellow mohair ; tail, two fibres of 

 the hackle used for legs. Hook, 10. 



No. 5. CocH-Y-BoNDDHU. Wings, a furnace-hackle, 

 tied buzz ; legs, the same feather ; body short, of black 

 ostrich and bright bronze peacock harl, twisted together ; 

 gold tip ; and hooks 10 and 11. 



No. 6. THE MARCH-BROWN. Wings, standing erect, 

 of the hen pheasant's wing or tail-feather ; body, pale 

 orange mohair mixed with reddish fur from the hare's 

 poll ; legs, a pure honey-dun hackle ; tail, two fibres of 

 the pheasant's wing. Hooks, 7, 8, 9, and 10. 



I consider this the best of all flies from the middle of 

 March to the end of April, with the exception of the oak- 

 fly for the latter month. When the natural fly is on the 

 water in great abundance, it is taken by trout as eagerly 



