126 HOW TO TIE FLIES. 



of difficulty to catch a specimen, and it is espe- 

 cially difficult in the case of flies which do not 

 rise far from the surface of the water, but appear 

 to skim about upon it. An ordinary landing net 

 is of little use. But by procuring a small muslin 

 net, specially prepared to withstand the water, 

 and fixing four or more watch swivels at equal 

 distances round the mouth, by which the muslin 

 net can be affixed when requisite to the meshes 

 of the landing net, the difficulty may be substan- 

 tially overcome. Suitable nets in all sizes may 

 be obtained from Messrs. Watkins and Doncaster, 

 naturalists, of Holborn Viaduct. 



In imitating flies which, like the up-winged 

 duns, float upright on the water, and present their 

 under sides to the inspection of the trout, it is 

 specially desirable to reproduce successfully the 

 colouring and appearance of the under side. 

 Perhaps the best method of achieving this is to 

 place the fly in its natural position either on a 

 small, flat mirror, or else upon the surface of 

 water, in a basin at the bottom of which lies such 

 a mirror. It will often be found there is an 

 appreciable difference of colour between the upper 

 and under sides of the body. It may be fairly 

 objected that the mirror throws upward upon the 

 under side of the fly more light than would be 

 reflected by the bottom of a river or pond ; but 

 the surface of the water in sunlight itself reflects 

 no little light upon the insect; and, further, 

 the general tendency of the dresser is to dress 

 rather more darkly than the colour and natural 

 luminosity of the fly warrants. The fault induced 

 therefore, if any, is likely to be on the right 

 side. This method will enable comparisons to 

 be made between the natural fly and the artificial 

 while in progress, comparisons which should be 

 especially valuable in the case of indiarubber 

 bodies. 



