50 WHEN IMITATIONS OF THE MAY-FLY KILL, 



when other natural flies are out, and the May-fly 

 is not. I will here grant, and doing so will 

 strengthen my argument, that it is impossible to 

 imitate well the delicate and beautiful May-fly. 

 Still, fish will generally sooner take the bad imi- 

 tation, I may say the worst imitation of it, than 

 the best of any other fly not in season. 



The artificial May-fly is not a killing bait 

 except under peculiar circumstances, and when 

 thrown upon the water amongst the real flies, 

 fish will generally prefer the latter. Use any 

 other artificial fly, as unlike the May-fly as pos- 

 sible, and you will prove the theory of the philo- 

 sophers to be erroneous, for fish will not rise at 

 these unlike flies at all. They will rise, however, 

 at a bad imitation of the May-fly, particularly 

 under circumstances that tend to improve that 

 imitation. When the weather is gloomy and 

 windy during the tf drake season,' and the deep 

 waters are ruffled, and few natural May-flies are 

 out, imitations of them will kill well. I account 

 for it thus. During such weather the imperfec- 

 tions of the artificial fly are to a great measure 

 hidden. The water is disturbed and not very 

 clear, the plash caused by the falling line and 

 large imitation-flies is not very great, and the 

 appearance of the artificial fly then is not unlike 

 that of a natural one, either drowned or drowning, 

 or struggling against the effects of gusty weather. 



