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some instances, it will be advisable to enlarge 

 or diminish the proportions of the artificial fly ; 

 as the state of the water may require." To be 

 sure ; in order, that to the fish the imitation 

 may be the more precise. The imitation of 

 nature is the rule the deviation from it, or the 

 use of a gaudy fly, the exception. 



Mr. Professor Rennie quotes Sir H. Davy 

 in corroboration of his principle. The follow- 

 ing is the passage : " / imagine" says Sir H. 

 Davy, "salmon take the gaudy fly, with its 

 blue kingfisher and golden pheasant's feathers, 

 for a small fish: I never saw a dragon-fly drop 

 on the water or taken by a fish." Sir H. Davy 

 gives no decided opinion ; he simply imagines) 

 that the gaudy fly is taken for the represen- 

 tation of a small fish. It, therefore, is not a 

 "pretended imitation." But what says Mr. 

 Bainbridge, the learned professor's "best 

 authority on the species of flies," in reference 

 to this very point. That gentleman says, " The 

 most successful bait [for salmon] which can be 

 used is, the artificial fly. Those made in imita- 

 tion of the dragon flies are the most to be de- 

 pended upon, as these insects are constantly 

 hovering over the water, consequently, are more 

 familiar to the view of the fish." Sir H. Davy 

 says he never saw " a dragon-fly drop on the 

 water or taken by a fish." But if " dragon- 



