148 



MODERN SEA FISHING 



is well padded, is covered with broad, flat, real silver, tinsel. A 

 few strands of harl form the tail. When the wing of this fly is 

 nicely curved, the lure drawn rapidly through the water is a 

 very fair resemblance of a bright shining whitebait, the silver 

 tinsel representing its bright sides, and the green glistening harl 

 ,ts greenish back. What the white feather is for, I confess I 

 don't know ; but it is added because white flies appear to have 

 a special attraction for many kinds of sea fish. How these 

 and similar flies are tied is illustrated and explained in detail 

 on p. 83. 



To still more accurately represent the herring fry I have 



had some of these flies dressed 

 with the white wing underneath. 

 We then have the white swan's 

 wing, representing the belly ; 



WHITEBAIT' FLY. NO. i 



' WHITEBAIT ' FLY. NO. 2 



the sides of silver, and the green back. The first-men- 

 tioned fly, however, seems to kill as well as the newer pattern. 

 Where there is a breeze, the size shown in the illustration is 

 most useful for bass, coalfish, mackerel, and small pollack ; 

 but on a calm bright day when the water is clear, smaller flies 

 are often more killing. In fact, the trout or salmon fisher can 

 exercise just the same discretion in the sea with regard to the 

 size of his fly as he does in fresh water, using a very large one 

 on rough, dark days. 



In whitebait fly No. 2 it will be noticed that I have tied 



