THE COMPLETE ANGLER 307 



Having now told you how to angle with this fly alive, 

 I am now to tell you next how to make an artificial 

 fly, that will so perfectly resemble him, as to be taken 

 in a rough windy day, when no flies can lie upon the 

 water, nor are to be found about the banks and sides 

 of the river, to a wonder ; and with which, you shall 

 certainly kill the best trout and grayling in the river. 



The artificial GREEN-DRAKE then, is made upon a 

 large hook, the dubbing, camel's hair, bright bear's 

 hair, the soft down that is combed from a hog's bristles, 

 and yellow camlet, well mixed together ; the body 

 long, and ribbed about with green silk, or rather yellow, 

 waxed with green wax : the whisks of the tail, of the 



quart of soft water ; wash the mallard feathers with soap and warm 

 water ; then boil them a short time, with a large spoonful of alum 

 and tartar, in a little pipkin holding a pint of water ; take them out, 

 and immerse them in your yellow decoction, and simmer slowly for 

 an hour or two. The shorter the simmering, the paler the yellow 

 of the feathers ; take them out and wash them in clean hard water. 

 When there is occasion for dyeing yellow-green, add a little blue, 

 more or less, according to the shade of green you wish to give the 

 yellow. Mr. Ronald's Fly-fisher's Entomology, recommends another 

 way for dyeing mallard's feathers for the May-fly's wings. He tells 

 us to make a mordant, by dissolving a quarter of an ounce of alum 

 in a pint of water, and then to slightly boil the feathers in it to get 

 the grease out of them, after which to boil them in an infusion of 

 fustic to procure a yellow, and then subduing the brightness of the 

 yellow by adding a little copperas to the infusion. Having now the 

 wing-feathers dyed, I'll tell you how to make the fly : Body, bright 

 yellow mohair, or floss silk, ribbed sparingly with a very thin, light 

 bronze peacock's hart ; wings, mottled feather of the mallard, dyed 

 a pale yellow-green. They are to stand erect, and be slightly 

 divided ; legs, a couple of turns, close under the wings, of a light 

 red ginger hackle ; tail-whisks, three black hairs from a rabbit's 

 whisker. Hooks, 6, 7, and 8. Another way, Body, yellow-green 

 mohair ; wings, mallard's feather dyed yellow ; a black head ; legs, 

 a yellowish hackle ; tail, three hairs from a black bear's skin. A 

 third way, Body, yellow floss silk, ribbed with brown tying silk; 

 wings, as before ; legs, a yellow, grizzled dun hackle ; tail, as before ; 

 head, bronze peacock hart ; and hooks as before. During the season 

 of the May-fly, I would angle with three flies of different sizes and 

 colours. I should then have three chances of success, and could 

 ascertain which was the preferable fly." I think the May-fly of 

 Ireland is of greener hue than in England. In small, well wooded 

 rivers of mild temperature, the May-fly grows to a larger size than 

 in exposed, wide rivers in our colder counties. E. 



