40 SPORTING FRIENDS. 



sadly reduced ; ground blunted hooks and patched ravelling 

 bodies, till at last my stock was reduced to half-a-dozen, 

 and that half-dozen to perfect skeletons. What was to be 

 done ? Man is an imitative animal I endeavoured to 

 fabricate produced something between a bird and a bee 

 tried again, succeeded better ; and before my artist had re- 

 covered, by the shade of Walton ! I could turn out a reputable 

 fly." 



" I believe I must make an attempt." 



" You shall succeed, and, as a preliminary, I will put you 

 under the tutelage of my worthy neighbour, the priest. Ob- 

 serve his style of casting, and mark the facility with which 

 he sends five-and-thirty feet of hair and gut across the 

 broadest pool. I fish tolerably, but have repeatedly laid aside 

 my rod to admire the beautiful casting of this perfect master 

 of the angle." 



" He ties a very handsome fly, no doubt." 



" I won't say that, he ties a very killing one. I expect 

 him presently ; and as the day is wet, I'll leave the materials 

 ready, and to-morrow, if the rain ceases soon, we shall prove 

 the value of his flies. 



"As we are on the subject of tying, I must observe, that 

 the advantage one derives from being able to construct his 

 own flies is wonderful ; in fact, without attaining this accom- 

 plishment in the ' gentle art' no one can fish comfortably or 

 successfully. No stock, however extensive, will afford a 

 supply adapted for every change of weather and water ; and 

 a man may lose a day overlooking an interminable variety of 

 kinds and colours, in a vain search after one killing fly. Not 

 so the artist : the favourite insect being once ascertained, he 

 speedily produces an imitation, and fills his basket ; while his 

 less fortunate neighbour is idly turning the pages of his over- 

 stocked fishing-book. 



"I had two sporting friends, who were excellent instances 



of this. Colonel S was an ardent, and, I may add, a 



very tolerable angler ; and no one went to more trouble and 

 expense in procuring the most approved flies. He never tied, 

 or attempted to tie one, and he assured me he had many 

 hundred dozens in his possession. To find a new fly was 

 with him sometimes the labour of a day ; and when about 

 to try another water, he would spend hours toiling through 

 his immense collection, before he could succeed in discovering 



