A KILLING FLY. EVANSES FLY. 229 



the other. And do not forget the hint I dropped 

 just now, that larger flies should be used early in 

 morning and late at night, than in mid-day; 

 simply, because they are then less easily seen. 

 That's a mighty great reason ! you'll say ; yet it 

 it is little known or thought of, as the reason 

 why a fire burns better and brighter from poking. 

 So much for the sizes of hooks and flies. 



Herb. You have not yet described the fly I 

 have on, and with which we killed the last fish at 

 the Quay-stream pool. 



Theoph. You mean Antiquarius's fly. It has, 

 you see, an apple-green silk body, a golden phea- 

 sant's crest feather, and a few fibres of scarlet 

 ibis left shorter for the tail; below which, and 

 wound up the body, is middling-sized gold thread. 

 Close under the wings is wound a claret-coloured 

 hackle ; and the wings are composed, the major 

 part, of dark-brown speckled mallard ; the rest 

 of a few strands of dark striped turkey feather, 

 and on each side are two bright blue king-fisher's 

 feathers ; and the hook is about my size No. 5. 

 But see another, the choicest fly in my collection 

 for this state of water. It is "Evans's fly;* 

 and, like a provident man, I reserved it for the 

 last, in the assurance, that though the others had 

 failed, this would have served me well if anything 

 would have stirred a fish to day. Its size is as 

 small as my No. 6, or even No. 7. Mulberry 



