THE MAY FLY. 



I WILL now make a few remarks on the May Fly or Green 

 Drake, and its decrease on many trout streams. When I 

 was a lad, and carried the landing net for my father in 

 Bakewell meadows, Derbyshire, the drakes have risen 

 from the bed of the river in thousands, the air being quite 

 thick with them. I have myself taken more than a 

 hundred from my hat and put them into a drake basket 

 for use. My father never used the natural or artificial 

 drake. He used to say he could make a better 

 basket with the yellow dun and alder fly, and the black 

 gnat for evening. It generally turned out he had the 

 best basket at the finish. In October, 1864, I went down 

 greyling fishing on the Wye and Derwent, Derbyshire, 

 staying at that delightful inn, " The Peacock, Rowsley 

 Bridge, where I met with the Duke of Rutland's steward, 

 who, in the course of conversation, asked me if I thought 

 my floating May flies would kill on their waters. If so, 

 he should prohibit the use of the live fly, as anglers came 

 from all parts, and at that season used the live fly with 

 great dexterity, killing all his best trout. I told him I 



