344 SALMON AND TROUT. 



Legs and Whisks : Pale buff, or, for a change, honey dun. 

 Hook, oo or ooo. 



With this list of flies a fisherman may consider himself well 

 equipped for the first two months of the season, and there are 

 many days in every month of the summer and autumn when 

 these same flies tied smaller would be found sufficient to insure 

 the best of sport. 



I do not believe in dividing artificial flies according to 

 months, and a good comprehensive assortment of spring pat- 

 terns will, with slight modifications, always be of general use 

 at all times and in all weathers. Still, there are some very 

 favourite flies which do not appear before May, and as these 

 sometimes entirely monopolise the attention of every feeding 

 fish, they must be added to the list. I leave out the green and 

 grey drake, as they are not found on every water, and almost 

 every angler has his own special pattern ; but, in my opinion, 

 May flies are frequently tied too large, and I believe, whatever 

 pattern be adopted, the best sport will be obtained by small flies. 



IX. THE BLACK GNAT. 



( Vide engraving). 



The natural fly has a long, thin, shiny black body, not a bit 

 like the fluffy little lump usually seen in the imitation. Then 



XVII. JENNY SPINNEK. IX. BLACK GNAT. XVIII. THE INTERMEDIATE. 



the wings are long and lie folded quite flat (not sloped like 

 those of a sedge or alder), and projecting over the tail end of 

 the body, showing a shiny, metallic, gauzy film, in strong con- 



