THE MARCH BROWN FLY. 53 



As winged flies are more delicate to tie than 

 hackles or ruffs, we have found the following me- 

 thod answer equally well, and indeed better, if the 

 water has been clear and shallow, or the day bright : 

 At first, use two or three turns of a cock or 

 hen's hackle (the latter is preferable), as near the 

 colour of the fly's wing as possible, and for the body, 

 corduroy or dark ash silk; after that, a lighter 

 hackle, with light ash, ribbed with split primrose 

 silk, and sometimes the primrose silk only ; lastly, 

 the hackle, still lighter, and bright yellow silk, and 

 this will take fish when the March brown is upon 

 the water. 



THE MARCH BROWN, BROWN DRAKE, COB FLY 



(in Wales), GREY CAUGHLAN (Ireland). 

 SEASON. Middle of March to the middle of April. 



IF, during this season, you are early at the river, 

 throw first the four-winged brown, then the blue 

 dun ; and, just before you expect the March brown 

 to come on, use that, until two o'clock, and then 

 return to the blue dun. 



Natural. In shape like the blue dun, but a 

 larger and bolder fly. The colour of the wings is 

 a blue dun with a yellow cast in it, spotted with 

 dark brown ; at the root of the larger wings, you 

 will find two smaller ones. The under part of the 

 body, at the first appearance of the fly, is of a red- 

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