FLY FISHING FOR TROUT 33 



in strength, and the fish have made up their minds to 

 take it, is almost certain to completely and absolutely 

 defeat the unfortunate angler. And with this some- 

 what discouraging statement I will take leave of 

 ' smuts ' and their evil influence over the trout. 



Before quitting altogether the subject of fishing 

 with a dry fly or, indeed, with the artificial fly 

 at all a few words must be devoted to that most 

 fascinating and weird insect, the Mayfly. 



From the moment the first pioneers of the tribe 

 are seen, to the day when a few scattered stragglers 

 are the sole survivors of the vast multitudes who 

 have fluttered their little hour away and have died 

 either a natural death, or have been devoured by bird 

 or fish, the Mayfly is the thought uppermost in 

 the fisherman's mind, and he will travel far to procure 

 a day's fishing in waters whereon that fly is found. 

 Apart from the wondrous tale of its inception, and 

 curiously ephemeral existence, the Mayfly is always 

 affording the fisherman some new material for aston- 

 ishment. One year it will not appear at all, or only 

 in such insignificant numbers as hardly to merit 

 recognition, under which circumstances the fish take 

 no notice of it whatever, and the angler need not 

 trouble to ' put on ' its likeness ; whereas on the same 

 stretch of water during the previous season the fly 



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