TROUT FLIES IN APRIL 



what is known as the needle-brown and is always 

 mentioned by anglers native to the stream as a black 

 gnat. While in motion the two feelers are con- 

 stantly moving back and forth. The dark-brown- 

 ish body is quite plump, though hidden by the over- 

 lapping wings, which make it appear very much 

 like the black gnat. Near the end of the tail are 

 two short stylets ; the tail, elongated from the body, 

 has two shorter stylets growing out at the end ; and 

 the whole seems to drag on the ground or water as 

 the insect moves along. On the day this was cap- 

 tured the weather was cloudy and the water very 

 cold, yet they were quite abundant, both flying and 

 resting on twigs or stones at the water's edge. I 

 have proved it to be a most excellent fly if tied with 

 plenty of hackle at the shoulders and tail, with dark 

 ribbed body, and wings a steel brown. It is the 

 first fly I should use very early in the month on 

 cold, cloudy days. 



No. 2. Brown buzz. This is a small, dark dun, 

 with a black body like the ant, but larger and 

 stouter. The dark-brown wings should lap well 

 over the body. A curious feature is the absence 

 of either feelers or stylets. It was caught while in 

 flight, numbers of them being congregated buzzing 

 up and down near the edge of the stream. The 

 local (Catskill) name is brown gnat. It disap- 

 pears in warm weather. 



No 3. Short-tail. I caught this flying over the 



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