FLY FISHING. 55 



way of a hackle, as in the blue dun, and the wings of the quill 

 feather of a woodcock's wing. 



The great red spinner is made of the same materials as the little 

 red spinner, only that it should be rubbed with gold twist instead 

 of yellow silk, and should be somewhat more than twice the 

 size. 



Several varieties of these flies may be produced, which may be 

 tried to great advantage, by substituting hare's flax, either from 

 the head, ear, or other parts of the body, by which means many 

 different shades may be obtained ; as also by using the silver in- 

 stead of gold twist. 



There is also a good ephemeral fly that comes in about the 

 middle of March termed the blue upright. It is about the size of 

 the great red spinner and of the same proportions ; the dubbing 

 of the body should be of mole's fur near the roots, with the 

 deepest blue hackle you can get, and short in the fibre under the 

 wings, which must be of the starling's feather, and which must 

 stand nearly upright. A fly of about half the size but ribbed 

 with silver twist is also very successful in a fine water. It may 

 also be made buz by substituting a small blue hackle. There is 

 also a queer looking little insect called the water cricket, that in 

 the early part of the spring may be seen actively moving about 

 on the surface of the water, for at this time it is without wings, 

 though like some species of the ants it afterwards acquires them. 

 It is a favourite article of food with the trout, who, if inclined 

 to rise may generally be induced to do so by a good copy of this 

 insect. To tie an artificial fly of this kind, the body must be com- 

 posed of orange silk ribbed with the finest black silk you can pos- 

 sibly procure, with the top of a peawit wound on for legs. The 

 insect itself is a very small one, consequently the imitation must be 

 trimmed in proportion. 



Another good little fly is the yellow dun, the body of which must 

 be of camel's hair, warped with yellow silk with a hackle from the 

 light grey feather of a partridge. Then there is the red and all 

 red, a little fly but a regular killer ; the body must be of dark 

 brown sable fur inclining to a reddish cast, spun on and warped 

 with brown silk, with a red hackle under the wings, the latter of 

 which should stand upright, and be made of the red feathers of a 

 partridge's tail. In the summer months a turn or two of gold 

 twist at the extremity of the tail is considered to render it very 



