96 The Complete Angler 



But I promised to tell you more of the Fly-fishing 

 for a Trout ; which I may have time enough to do, 

 for you see it rains May butter. First for a May- 

 fly : you may make his body with greenish-coloured 

 crewel, or willowish colour ; darkening it in most 

 places with waxed silk ; or ribbed with black hair ; 

 or, some of them, ribbed with silver thread ; and 

 such wings, for the colour, as you see the fly to 

 have at that season, nay, at that very day on the 

 water. Or you may make the Oak-fly: with an 

 orange, tawny, and black ground ; and the brown 

 of a mallard's feather for the wings. And you are 

 to know, that these two are most excellent flies, 

 that is, the May-fly and the Oak-fly. 



And let me again tell you, that you keep as far 

 from the water as you can possibly, whether you 

 fish with a fly or worm ; and fish down the stream. 

 And when you fish with a fly, if it be possible, let 

 no part of your line touch the water, but your fly 

 only ; and be still moving your fly upon the water, 

 or casting it into the water, you yourself being also 

 always moving down the stream. 



Mr. Barker commends several sorts of the palmer- 

 flies ; not only those ribbed with silver and gold, 

 but others that have their bodies all made of black ; 

 or some with red, and a red hackle. You may also 

 make the Hawthorn-fly : which is all black, and not 

 big, but very small, the smaller the better. Or the 

 oak-fly, the body of which is orange colour and 

 black crewel, with a brown wing. Or a fly made 

 with a peacock's feather is excellent in a bright 

 day: you must be sure you want not in your 

 magazine-bag the peacock's feather; and grounds 

 of such wool and crewel as will make the grass- 

 hopper. And note, that usually the smallest flies 

 are the best ; and note also, that the light fly does 

 usually make most sport in a dark day, and the 



