CHTJB-FLIES. 83 



angling editor of the Field, lias kindly given me a pattern fly 

 of liis own design, wliicli he has found very killing. It is 

 dressed on a Snecky Limerick grilse hook. The body is of chenille 

 tinsel, with a tail, iin. long, of white kid. Close to the 

 head is wound a long coch-y-bondu hackle. For dark days 

 this fly should, I think, be dressed with a dark shade of tinsel 

 and the coch-y-bondu hackle, but for bright days with a brighter 

 body and ordinary red hackle. 



The favourite chub -fly of the late Mr. Francis Francis was of 

 grilse size — body, silver tinsel, a furnace hackle (dark red with 

 black centre) wrapped round it, a few turns of black heron 

 over that at shoulder, an under-wing of a few sprigs of emerald 

 peacock harl, and an over-wing of dark turkey ; and for a tail, a 

 tag of white kid glove or wash-leather. Another favourite of 

 his had a yellow crewel body, with red hackle and a dun turkey 

 wing. The two flies which I have most used are : First, a large 

 coachman, with body leaded if used in the Thames or other 

 large rivers (except on shallows); and, second, an imitation 

 beetle — body, rusty -red pig's wool, ribbed with gold tinsel ; legs, 

 bronze peacock harl ; back, a cock's black tail-feather, tied 

 down at head and tail. The former fly is best when the water 

 is clear, and at night ; the latter kills well in slightly coloured 

 water. Other good flies are large alders, and palmers, red 

 or black, with peacock harl bodies. Artificial bees, wasps, 

 cockchafers, and beetles are also very killing at times, 

 especially if allowed to sink a foot or more under the water. 

 Just at the commencement of the season, the bait known as 

 the Alexandra fly often kills well. In rivers where the May- 

 fly is abundant, chub, during the rise of that fly, sometimes 

 take nothing else, and require as much fishing for as trout. 



Chub like a good mouthful; but the size of the fly 

 should depend on the size of the chub and the river. In the 

 Thames I prefer large, heavy flies, and sink them ; in smaller 

 and shalloTjfer streams, smaller and lighter flies, which hardly 

 sink at all. I have, indeed, found a dry fly, which rests 

 on the surface, sometimes kill chub when they would not look 

 at a sunk fly. The dry fly should be tried when the chub are 

 seen rising, and each fish can be fished for. Chub-flies should 



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