56 THE GREEN TAIL, OR GRANNAM FLY. 



and under it put a thickish body of green yellow 

 wool: tie with bright yellow silk. As a golden 

 plover's feather is not always to be procured, you 

 may use the reddish dun feather from a landrail, 

 either as a hackle or wings ; or even a light ginger 

 hackle or starling's wing, with the above body, will 

 answer ; for, being used only in rough water, the 

 imitation need not be so very exact. 



THE GREEN TAIL, OR GRANNAM FLY. 

 SEASON. April. 



Natural. They have four wings, which lie 

 sloping over the body, so as to entirely hide it, 

 and are of a light and yellowish dun, with brown 

 sandy spots. The head and body very dark, with 

 a whitish stripe on the sides of the tail, where 

 there is sometimes a lump of green eggs, which, in 

 handling the fly, will drop off: they have six legs, 

 of a ginger colour, and two black feelers at the head. 

 They are to be seen from the end of March till 

 late in May ; but the exact time depends entirely 

 upon the weather ; for a wet season destroys them, 

 as a fine one brings and continues them. 



In their season, they appear in flights from ten 

 till four or five o'clock, and are easily known by 

 their short returns, in a zig-zag manner, in numbers 

 together, over the water. They abound mostly in 

 those rivers whose sides are covered with orl (i.e. 

 alder) trees, and may be seen running very fast on 

 their leaves. 



