44 ANGLING. 



time with other kinds of flies as opposite as possible, both in shape 

 and colour, from this particular insect. 



Now, it is a commonly received notion among many expert 

 anglers, that when trout are rising at these flies, they will scarcely 

 look at anything else. Nothing can be more erroneous, as ex- 

 perience will amply testify if proper means be employed. True it is, 

 we have occasionally met with a few instances, where trout, dashing 

 rapidly at the natural fly, have obstinately refused the artificial fly ; 

 but in all such cases as have come under our own observation, we 

 have, upon inspection, invariably found the rejected fly too large 

 in size. On the substitution of a small one, somewhat in conformity 

 perhaps, as to shape, though it may be decidedly opposite in 

 colour to the insect on which the fish were feeding ; the evil has 

 been immediately rectified, and trout taken with great rapidity. 



But we consider almost decisive in this question, is this : when 

 we traverse a fine trout stream, we often meet in the course of our 

 rambles, ten or a dozen brother anglers, all well skilled in the craft, 

 and employing an endless variety of flies. If the fish be in good 

 humour, the whole fraternity bear testimony to the fact; the 

 difference in the number of the fish each one has got, will be but 

 very trifling, and may well enough be considered referable to the 

 difference of time they may respectively have been on the rivers, 

 or to the casual advantages which some might enjoy over others, 

 by falling in with better streams. Mutual congratulations and 

 compliments are here the order of the day, and the superior ex- 

 cellence of particular flies eagerly commented on. But, on the 

 other hand, when the fish have no inclination for the fly, we find 

 the reverse of all this. Every one shakes his head in despair, and 

 swears he has tempted them in vain with every conceivable object 

 in his fly-book. Now all this, wliich is an everyday occurrence, is 

 inexplicable, except upon our theory, that when the fish are in- 

 clined to feed, they are not nice to a shade of colour and when, 

 they are not, the highest ingenuity of man may be displayed to no 

 purpose. 



We fished for five or six successive seasons, some of the finest 

 and most prolific rivers in England and Scotland, in company with 

 one of the very best fly-fishers in Great Britain, and the author of 

 many papers in popular periodicals on the art; and we invariably 

 used different coloured flies. It was quite astonishing to see hpw 

 nearly, on finishing in the evening, we were to each other in point 

 both of number and quality of fish. If one had a bad day, so had 

 the other ; and if good, both participated in the success. 



In the north of England, and in Scotland, there are angling 

 matches very frequently, between two first-rate fly-fishers, to 

 decide who shall kill the greater number of fish on a given day, 

 both traversing the same tract of water, taking the streams alter- 

 nately as they come to hand, and beginning and finishing at 

 certain points of the range of waters, and at a certain horn*. Thes& 

 exploits generally attract a good deal of attention for a consider- 



