302 THE COMPLETE ANGLER 



tying silk, red. Hook as before. If dressed full, and an 

 inch in length, it will lure large Thames trout and chub. E.J 



MAY 



And now, sir, that we are entering into the month of 

 May, I think it requisite to beg not only your attention, 

 but also your best patience ; for I must now be a little 

 tedious with you, and dwell upon this month longer 

 than ordinary ; which, that you may the better endure, 

 I must tell you, this month deserves and requires to 

 be insisted on ; forasmuch as it alone, and the next 

 following, afford more pleasure to the fly-angler than 

 all the rest : and here it is, that you are to expect an 

 account of the green -drake, and stone-fly, promised 

 you so long ago, and some others that are peculiar to 

 this month, and part of the month following ; and that, 

 though not so great either in bulk or name, do yet stand 

 in competition with the two before-named ; and so, 

 that it is yet undecided amongst the anglers, to which 

 of the pretenders to the title of the MAY-FLY, it does 

 properly and duly belong ; * neither dare I, where so 

 many of the learned in this art of angling are got in dispute 

 about the controversy, take upon me to determine ; but 

 I think I ought to have a vote amongst them, and accord- 

 ing to that privilege, shall give you my free opinion ; 

 and peradventure when I have told you all, you may 

 incline to think me in the right. 



VIAT. I have so great a deference to your judgment 

 in these matters, that I must always be of your opinion ; 

 and the more you speak, the faster I grow to my atten- 

 tion, for I can never be weary of hearing you upon this 

 subject. 



Pise. Why that's encouragement enough ; and now 

 prepare yourself for a tedious lecture ; but I will first 



* To the Ephemera vulgala, now commonly called the May-fly, and 

 green drake. E. 



