46 OF FISHING FOR 



fish seem to be feeding more at the bottom than 

 above ; but these two last obstacles will not deter 

 the sportsman from trying his skill. 



Choice of Flies. 



The selection of a fly requires more judgment, 

 experience, and patience, than any other branch 

 of the art. The beginner will soon discover that 

 his choice cannot be absolutely decided by refer- 

 ence to the catalogue in the following chapter 

 merely, or to any catalogue whatever. For 

 when a fly is (in the former) said to be in sea- 

 son, it does not follow that it is abroad on every 

 day of its existence. The state of the weather, 

 in respect of heat and moisture, has great in- 

 fluence in this respect ; he should therefore bear 

 in mind that the Coleopteron, or Beetle, will be 

 on the water on hot days principally : the Ephe- 

 mera, or fish fly, on rather cold days : the Phry- 

 ganea, or water fly, as the Grannom, &c., on 

 cloudy days with gleams of sunshine : the 

 Diptera and other land flies as the Cow Dung, 

 &c., on windy days. He would often do well to 

 begin fishing with a Palmer as a stretcher, and 

 the fly which seems most suitable for the day as 

 a dropper, one yard and three quarters from it : 

 not changing these until he can discover what 

 fly the fish are actually rising at. The Palmer 



