42 LIST OF FLIES. 



coarse days, retard the tender tribes, which, as they can 

 snatch portions of sunshine, when the wily trout, wide 

 awake, sees all that passes and snaps his favorite victim. 

 The gravel spinners are in good perfection, with the light, 

 dark, and bloa brown, blue and brown drake, are good for 

 the Ure the duns, with the Eoyal Charlie, are good for 

 the brooks, fished with- or without the gold and black silver 

 hackle. 



The beginning of this month the old smelt begin to pack 

 and draw downwards on their passage to salt water, when 

 vast shoals make their halts on the tops and hovering parts 

 of the streams of the Ure ; which affords the Eipon angler 

 as animated sport as he can wish. On meeting with a shoal 

 on a fine forenoon, at low water, they will frequently race 

 each cast at every fly on the stinting. 27 They take small red 

 hackles and flies the maggot and codbait are excellent 

 auxiliaries. The first May flood takes the main body away, 

 but many of the largest pass Ripon the latter end of this 

 month. 



MAY. 



HAIL, smiling May ! Queen of the year robed in bright 

 emerald spangled with garlands of blossoms and flowers. 

 She chants her joys in wide spread melody ; and charms 

 the light heart of the angler. Myriads of flies flock the 

 air ; the pregnant waters teem with life ; and the tyrant 

 trout, night and day, revels and fattens in carnage. 



The merry smelt, in tints of blue, 

 Forsakes its home and bids adieu 

 To its native streams their first, best nurse ; 

 And to the ocean steer their course. 



(27) As I have previously mentioned in the preface this practice is now put an 

 end to by law ; the word " stinting" is a local phrase signifying the fly cast. 



