The North Country Angler. 43 



CHAP. XII. 



Of Fly Fishing. How to dress oil Sorts of Flies 

 for every Kind of Fish that will take a Fly. 



.A.LTHO' there are a great many who make it 

 their business and livelihood to dress flies, and 

 other tackle for sale ; and any angler may be 

 furnished with what he pleases from London, 

 York, Carlisle, and many other places ; yet, I 

 think it is scandalous in a professed angler, not 

 to make the most part of his own tackle himself, 

 such as rods, lines, flies, and some other things. 

 Indeed, for hooks, engines for twisting lines, 

 wheels for salmon rods, pike tackling, and a few 

 more, they are cheaper bought than made, and 

 perhaps better. 



And tho' salmon flies are more beautifully 

 drest at these places, than common anglers can 

 pretend to do them, yet I think they are more 

 easily made than a midge or small fly. 



The largest fly that is drest for salmon, is in 

 imitation of one, that is vulgarly called the flying 

 adder ; and it is a vulgar notion indeed, tho' I 

 have known some afraid of being stung by them. 

 They are the pond or marsh fly, that maybe seen 

 in all the hot months, near such places, where 

 they are bred. It has a broad thick protube- 

 rant bead and shoulders, some of a golden 

 colour, some a bright brown, with long large 

 diaphanous or transparent wings, and a long 

 small body, of a shining blueish colour. They 

 exclude their eggs amongst the roots of grass, 



