98 ARTIFICIAL FLIES FOR APRIL. 



together ; wings and legs, a dark furnace cock's 

 hackle of the purest black and red colour. Hook, 

 Nos. 10 and 11. This is a famous fly. If fish will 

 not rise at it, you may conclude that they are not 

 6 on the feed.' They either take it for a small red . 

 and black caterpillar, or for a round black and 

 red beetle. Fine warm cloudy days are the best 

 for its successful use. 



fnr 



April is the best fly-fishing month for trout in 

 the year. That fish is then getting strong and 

 voracious. The water is generally in good tune, 

 being neither too full nor too low. The weather 

 is often as it ought to be : wind blowing west or 

 south with alternate sun and clouds. The tem- 

 perature is moderate. Fish are to be found in 

 the streams, and also in deepish water the 

 largest and the best-conditioned in the latter. 

 The pools are often aptly ruffled by a genial 

 breeze, and can be fly-fished to the greatest ad- 

 vantage. All the good flies of March will kill in 

 April. Add to them the following : 



No. 17. Stone-fly. Wings, a mottled feather 

 of the hen-pheasant, or the dark-grey feather of a 

 mallard, rather inclining to red, to be dressed 

 large, long, and flat : Body, yellow-brown mohair 



