276 THE YOUNG ANGLES. 



wings. The black gnat makes its appearance about the latter end 

 of April, and will be found useful till the close of May. A black 

 ostrich's harl must be used in making the body of this fly, a star- 

 ling's feather for the wings, and very fine black cock's hackle for the 

 legs ; it should be trimmed short and thick. This fly is reckoned a 

 good killer when the water is rather low. The violet fly is also used 

 in April ; it is made of light dun-coloured bear's hair, mixed with 

 violet stuff, and winged with the grey feather of a mallard. The 

 stone fly, which may be used with success during May, especially 

 in the mornings, has a body of red mohair ribbed with gold or yel- 

 low silk ; tail, two long fibres from a red cock's hackle ; red cock's 

 hackle also for the legs, and a mottled feather from a hen pheasant, 

 or grey goose wing feather hackle for the wings, which must lie flat. 

 The green drake, or May fly, is perhaps the best fly that can be 

 procured for trout fishing. Its wings 

 should be made of the light feather of a 

 grey drake, dyed lemon colour, its body 

 of yellow-coloured mohair, neatly ribbed 

 with green silk, head of a peacock's 

 harl, and its tail of three long hairs 

 from a sable muff. The yellow sally is an approved fly from the 

 early part of May to the end of June ; its body must be made of 

 yellow unravelled worsted, mixed with some fur from a hare's ear, 

 and its wings of a hackle dyed yellow ; the wings of this fly must lie 

 flat. The grey drake appears about the same time as the green 

 drake, which in shape it very closely resembles, and is a serviceable 

 fly from three o'clock till dusk. Its body must be made of pale dun- 

 coloured mohair, the tail of two fibres from the mallard's back, 

 legs of a brown or ginger cock's hackle, and wings from the grey 

 r feather of the mallard's back, undyed. The oak fly, down-looker, 

 ash- fly, is usually found on oak and ash trees, during May and 

 une, with its head pointing downwards towards the roots of the 

 trees. Its wings, which must lie flat, should be made with a wing 

 feather from a woodcock, its body of dun-coloured fur mingled iwith 

 brown mohair, and its head of fur from a hare's ear. The purple 

 fly made of purple wool mixed with light brown bear's hair, and 

 dubbed with purple silk, is useful during June and July. 



The red ant's wings must be made of a light 

 feather from a starling, its body of a peacock's 

 harl, and its legs of a ginger-coloured hackle, 

 and its body should be made thick at the end. 

 This fly first appears in June, and continues till 

 August ; it is esteemed a capital killer from eleven 

 in the morning till six in the evening. 



The dark alder fly, in May and June, is a great favourite ; it may 

 be imitated by a dark shaded pheasant's wing, black for its legs, 

 and a peacock's harl ribbed with silk hackle for the body. The 

 fern fly also appears in the early part of summer; its body is 

 dubbed with the wool from a hare's neck and its wings made of a 

 darkish grey mallard's feather 



