126 OUR OPINION OF IMITATION. 



water and of the atmosphere, which occasionally 

 render necessary a greater variety. 



But first we must explain what we mean by 

 imitation. Believing it impossible to fabricate 

 an exact imitation of a natural insect with any 

 materials in use, or, if otherwise, taking for 

 granted the difficulty, if not, in most cases, the 

 impossibility, of imitating, in the process of fishing, 

 the motions and attitude of a natural fly upon the 

 water, our first object is to make as near an 

 approach to these as we are able, and to conceal, 

 by the effect of art, the imperfections which must 

 be obvious to every one. And this we would do, 

 with reference to fly-making, on the same prin- 

 ciple as that on which an artist would paint 

 a tree ; for instance, he would not dream of 

 copying in detail every separate leaf and spray, 

 first, because it would be manifestly impossible, 

 and, secondly, because the proper effect would 

 be produced by representing the general features 

 of leaves and sprays, their groupings, roundness, 

 height, flexibility, and the like. And so, as 

 regards flies, we conceive the main points of 

 imitation to be size, colour, form, character, and 

 more important than all, action, which last 

 depends, of course, upon the angler, and not upon 

 the fly-maker. Many anglers (fanciful ones and 



