37 



on the meshes by gas-light. The next morning (always 

 being an early riser) I was out in the garden by four 

 o'clock, when holding up my landing net to the sun, I 

 could see a number of the smallest midges imaginable. 

 On placing them under a magnifying glass I could see 

 the insect was what they call in Yorkshire a "stone 

 midge." Getting my book of materials, I found the best 

 imitation for the colour of the body was a strand from a 

 centre feather of a heron's wing ; two turns of a glossy 

 starling breast feather answering for wings and legs ; hook 

 No. o, being the smallest size made. I broke a little bit 

 off the hook to shorten it, and dressed more than a dozen 

 flies before my friend made his appearance. He was 

 astonished when he saw the little insects on the meshes 

 of the net and my imitation of them. I told him I 

 thought we should have a little sport with the artificial 

 flies I had made when the fish were feeding on the natural 

 fly. After breakfast my friend wanted to commence 

 fishing at once. I told him we must wait till feeding 

 time, as we might as well fish in the meadows as thrash 

 the stream before they were rising. We went at pne 

 o'clock, and waited until they commenced feeding, about 

 four o'clock, as before. They must have heard the dinner 

 bell, for they were feeding by dozeus. I put up two casts 

 with three of my flies on each cast. In a short time 

 we got some very nice trout and greyling; and before 

 leaving off we both filled our baskets, and lost many 

 through the smallness of the hooks. 



I could give many instances of size and colour being 

 a grand secret, as very frequently in my younger days, 



