THEORETICAL NONSENSE. 55 



is caught with flies which are the least like any 

 which frequent the water. The imitation of the 

 yellow May-fly, which is so common on many 

 streams towards the latter end of May and the 

 beginning of June, is scarcely worth admitting 

 into the angler's book ; for when the natural fly 

 is most abundant, and teachers say the imitation 

 is to be used, it is generally good for nothing, as 

 the trout very seldom take it when the real fly is 

 on the water; but, in direct opposition to the 

 unfounded theory, prefer a hackle, black, red, or 

 brown, or a dark-coloured fly. Wherever fly- 

 fishing is practised in England, Scotland, Ire- 

 land, Wales, France, Germany, and America, 

 it has been ascertained, by experience, that the 

 best flies are not those which are dressed profess- 

 edly in imitation of any particular insect. Red, 

 black, and brown hackles, and flies with wings of 

 the bittern's, mallard's, partridge's, woodcock's, 

 grouse's, martin's, or blue hen's feathers, with 

 dubbing of brown, yellow, or orange, occasionally 

 blended, and hackles, red, brown, or black under 

 the wings, are the most useful flies that an angler 

 can use on any stream in daylight all the year 

 through.' 



The above passage contains a summary of the 

 doctrine preached by the new piscatorial philo- 

 sophers. They are lazy theoretical anglers, and 

 would be glad if there were only three general 



