154 FLY FISHING FOR TROUT. 



vigorous life. Cotton knew it as the Dun Cut, 

 made of dun bear's hair mixed with some blue 

 and yellow and a large dun wing. Chetham's 

 invaluable appendix calls it the Yellow Dun, 

 and he as usual produces a most modern fly, of 

 yellow marten's fur dubbed on yellow silk, and 

 a starling wing. Bowlker did not distinguish 

 it from the Blue Dun. Best (1787) gives both 

 Y T ellow Dun and Dun Cut, somewhat different 

 dressings, the first almost identical with 

 Chetham. Thus it comes down to the nine- 

 teenth century, when Ronalds finally rigs it up, 

 as it is to-day : body either yellow mohair mixed 

 with pale blue mouse fur, or yellow thread well 

 waxed to give it an olive tint, light yellow dun 

 hackle and light starling wing. The body of 

 waxed thread is best, but it must be a particular 

 golden olive colour. I have killed numberless 

 trout with it, and when they are taking it they 

 will look at no other imitation. 



For the hackle fly nothing beats the Dotterel 

 and Yellow. Aldam gives the best dressing 

 and Pritt gives nearly the same : body yellow 

 green floss, hackled with a feather from the 

 outside of a dotterel's wing. It is, in my 

 experience, a better all-round fly than the 

 winged pattern given above. But on its day the 

 winged dressing beats it. 



This fly has changed less than the Blue Dun, 

 because it started better. A black wool body 

 with a yellow list down either side, light 

 mottled buzzard wings and a head of black 



