12 IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIMENS. 



If you fail to distinguish between the male spinners of 

 the Olive and the Pale Watery, be of good cheer the fish 

 can't do it either. The male spinner of the Iron Blue is very 

 distinct. He is commonly known as the Jenny Spinner, and 

 once seen is not easily forgotten. The female spinners can all 

 be run together under the collective name of Eed Spinner if 

 you are unwilling to make any determined effort to sort them 

 out. 



A rough and ready rule for dealing with duns only amounts 

 to this. Inspect the wings. If there is a decided tinge of 

 brown in them and they are inclined to be darkish, the fly is 

 an Olive. Light grey signifies a Pale Watery. The Iron Blue 

 Dun cannot be mistaken ; the wings are a dark slaty-blue 

 colour, which is very distinctive. Even the fish can spot him, 

 and have often been known deliberately and persistently to 

 reject other more numerous and convenient duns in favour of 

 the sprinkling of Iron Blue amongst them. 



The five popular names with which we are now concerned 

 cover no less than fifteen species of natural fly, leaving twenty- 

 five still to be reviewed before we may be said to have made 

 anything like a comprehensive survey of the whole Ephemeridse 

 family as at present known, but as we are now dealing with 

 the flies most commonly found on chalk streams there remain 

 only two which are worthy of passing mention. 



The Little Yellow May Dun, which appears at the same 

 time as the Mayfly, is easily recognisable by its bright yellow 

 colouring. The spinners are also coloured a very decided 

 yellow. This fly is seldom taken by the fish. 



Lastly, the Turkey Brown, which is fairly common on 

 parts of the Test, is a rather large fly with three setae, and a 

 general all-over-brown appearance. It cannot possibly be 

 confused with the Blue-winged Olive in the Dun stages, but 

 its male spinner is so like the male Sherry Spinner that no very 

 serious harm can be done by mixing them up. The female 

 spinner is larger more plump and less shapely. 



Before leaving those flies which have been labelled 

 : ' Ephemeridffi of the Chalk Streams " it is necessary that 



