68 *LY FISHING. 



dark brown silk at the end of the tail, which must be thick at the 

 extremity : for in the natural fly it terminates there abruptly. A 

 very light coloured red hackle with a black root must be wound on 

 in the place of wings. Sometimes part of a starling's quill feather 

 is substituted for the hackle, in which case a turn or two must be 

 made under them with a black ostrich herl. 



The gauze wing is a very beautiful little fly, and is equally re- 

 markable for its extraordinary fetid smell, which though disagree- 

 able to its biped admirers, may perhaps render it even more 

 attractive to the fishes, and most assuredly it is a morsel they hold 

 in high estimation; for if you disable one and cast him on the 

 waters it will seldom remain long there before some fish or other 

 will venture forth to seize hold of it. The insect derives 

 its name from the extremely transparent texture of its wings, 

 through which its slender pale green body is distinctly visible, 

 which being contrasted with a little round crimson coloured 

 head forms upon the whole a truly elegant little insect. The 

 imitation must be made with a slight body of pale green silk with 

 but a turn or two of the lightest blue hackle that can be procured 

 over all. The fibre must be long, as the wings of the fly itself are 

 much longer than the body, and some of the under fibres should 

 be cut off. Their head must be made with a turn or two of crim- 

 son silk, and the fly must be trimmed on a limerick hook as the 

 head cannot be made sufficiently small on a hook of the ordinary 

 kirby form. 



The two ephemeral flies already alluded to for July very much 

 resemble the blue dun and red spinner, only they are much smaller. 

 And by keeping this object constantly in view the same materials 

 may be employed in making both kinds of flies so as to answer 

 every useful purpose. The flies for July indeed take them alto- 

 gether, are the smallest that are fished with during the whole year ; 

 and form a strong contrast to the green drake and other giant 

 ephemerae of the month before, yet upon the whole they are the 

 best as far as the angler is concerned that could be seasonable at 

 the time they actually appear, and afford him a much better chance 

 of success by falling lightly on the then diminished waters, than a 

 larger imitation could possibly be made to do, and which, fortu- 

 nately for him, the fish seem no longer to look for or expect; 

 being then like an unsatisfied shotsman at the conclusion of the 

 shooting season, who is obliged to content himself with only pop- 

 ping at the few snipes he may then chance to stumble on. 



