THE HAWTHORN FLY. 61 



THE HAWTHORN FLY. 

 SEASON. May. 



Natural. It is in appearance somewhat similar 

 to a large house fly, except that its chest is full, and 

 the tail very small in proportion to the body ; the 

 wings lie flat, one over the other, on the back. 

 Its burnished, black, woolly legs are longer than 

 those of the common fly ; the body is of a varnished 

 black, and woolly ; the wings very light, the outside 

 being edged with black. There is a variety, whose 

 wings are of a raven black, and the tail much thicker ; 

 a third sort, only much smaller, resembles the first 

 in shape and colour. In their season, which is 

 principally during May, you will see them falling on 

 the froth and dead water in warm calm days, and 

 also flying on the sunny sheltered side of a hawthorn 

 hedge or ash tree. They are easily known, as their 

 long legs hang down and make an angle with the 

 body, the head being the point of it. They abound in 

 rivers and brooks which run near hawthorn hedges, 

 and are to be used only when seen abundantly on 

 the water, in low water and calm days. 



Artificial. For the larger sort, use the light part 

 of a starling's wing, with two turns only of a long- 

 fibred black hackle ; the body of black ostrich herl. 

 In making the smaller sort, leave out the hackle. 

 Tackle very fine, the hook light, and proportioned 

 to the fly. 



