ON THE EXACT IMITATION THEORY. 



than for its divergence from, it.* And,, again, 

 many instances that appear contrary in a more 

 convincing degree may, in reality, not be contrary 

 at all. For example : Fish are often feeding on 

 sunk flies, or flies just as they are assuming the 

 dun, or pseudimago, state beneath the surface of 

 the water, and the success of some particular 

 artificial may be due to its resemblance to this fly. 

 In my opinion, also, some instances of fancy 

 flies and others being found more useful than good 

 copies of the natural fly before us, at times when 

 fish appear to be feeding well, are to be satisfac- 

 torily explained by the theory that the fish are, 

 in reality, only "tailing" the said natural fly. 

 My own experience lends a certain amount of 

 evidence, since, on several occasions when I have 

 found a random change of fly to result in a cap- 

 ture, the rises have not been of that steady, 

 unobtrusive kind, as when a fish means business, 

 but of a wanton, sportive, tumbling character, 

 often making the water fairly boil, and myself 

 fairly wild with excitement, but in the rarest of 

 instances betokening anything but an empty 

 creel. 



At this stage I should, perhaps, remark that 

 my observations have all been taken on a river 

 where insect food is abundant. I can well 

 understand that where this is not the case other 

 conditions may obtain very different from those 

 which I have been considering. I know that those 

 who fish such waters are often inclined to think 

 that it is of little importance what fly is used. 

 I trust, however, that I have already said enough 

 to show that this, when stated as a general truth, 



* It is to be noted in this connection that it is the 

 smaller trout that display the greatest laxity of choice ; 

 also that different species of flies "on" together are 

 usually very dissimilar : e.g., the May Fly, Alder, and Black 

 Gnat. 



