J 3 



" I will give you two or three, but will not sell them as 

 they are worth a shilling each, and I can always depend on 

 making my basket with this fly." The hackle of that bird 

 was the best shape I ever saw. I have been trying all my 

 life to breed one similar to it, and have produced some 

 very near to it, but not perfect. This makes my theory 

 good that colour is the great secret, combined with size. 

 Occasionally it happens that an angler kills a few brace 

 of fish with a fancy fly dressed with a hackle taken from 

 any barn door fowl, but that I call chance, and is not to 

 be depended on. The Yellow Dun is generally seen on 

 the water from ten till four, and kills well on warm days 

 till the end of June. I make the body of fine yellow 

 silk, waxed with white wax ; tail, two strands of honey 

 dun hackle, rather long; wings from a young starling 

 wing feather set on very upright ; legs, two turns of a good 

 yellow dun hackle, varying the sizes according to the 

 water. It kills well on streams, dressed buzz, with the 

 same hackle put on sparingly, and a small portion of 

 yellow wool spun on the waxed silk. The dottrell hackle 

 on this body is very deadly both for trout and greyling. 



THE ALDER FLY 



Is another favourite of mine, and which I have proved 

 an excellent killer from May till the end of June ; and, if 

 dressed to float well, is very valuable to the angler when 

 the green drake is on the water. Formerly I used to 

 dress it with reddish brown tying silk ; body of bronze 

 peacock herl, made full, with a small tag of dark claret- 

 coloured mohair ; a dark brassy dun or a black cock's 



