Trout Flies. 159 



increased by your using two flies, but I think that 

 by using one only you increase your chance of 

 landing the fish." 



The following remarks as to colour, etc., are from 

 the observations of that excellent companion and 

 fly-fisher I have before quoted, and in whose 

 company many and many a pleasant day has been 

 passed by the river side : — 



" In the choice of flies I should say size and 

 colour are of chief importance, and of size, small 

 size, and of colour, colour which is more or less 

 translucent. The Derbyshire fly-fishers attach 

 great weight to a * fiery hackle,' or hackle that is, 

 whatever its colour, brilliant and shiny by trans- 

 mitted light. I notice that Pennell's flies are 

 always dressed with this sort of hackle, and, 

 probably, any success they have depends upon 

 this. The London fly-tier and the southern fly- 

 fishers pay no attention to this matter, and therein, 

 I think they are wrong. Two properties, in fact, 

 belong to the natural fly, which should certainly 

 not escape the notice of the intelligent angler : 

 colour which is translucent, and flotation, and I 

 know of no insuperable reasons why both these 

 desiderata should not be attained. As to colour 

 with translucency, perhaps by the use of brilliant 

 hackles for wings as well as for legs ; and as to 

 flotation, possibly by the use of materials for both 



