THE COMMON BROWN TROUT. 225 



but, on the contrary, that it is of the utmost consequence, and that the 

 fly should be as fly-like and characteristic as possible, so that, notwith- 

 standing its rapid and unnatural movements, it may at once and unmis- 

 takably be identified as a fly. I do not see any escape from this position, 

 which, if accepted, puts the colourists entirely out of court, as, by the 

 previous arguments, are the formalists." 



I have thus intentionally largely quoted Mr. Pennell for two reasons. 

 The first is, that it is almost impossible to epitomise or condense his 

 severely practical explanation, and the other is, that when I come to 

 criticise his views I may not be accused of garbling his own plain un- 

 varnished tale. For similar reasons I add his summary of the case 

 given by him, and, as it is of much importance in my exposition, I trust 

 the reader will read it with attention. These are his words, from "jThe 

 Modern Practical Angler " : 



"To sum up the foregoing arguments, therefore, the true rationale 

 of the matter seems to me to be as follows : 



"1. Whatever salmon et hoc genus may do, trout certainly take the 

 artificial for the natural fly. 



" 2. But, as the artificial fly is necessarily presented in an abnormal 

 condition namely, wet instead of dry, sunk instead of floating ; and 

 as the resemblance which wet feathers and silk under water bear to dry 

 insect down, fluff, and wings on the water, is imperfect ; (3) it is neces- 

 sary, for the purpose of hiding the counterfeit, and partly also to hide 

 the hook, to give the fly an unnatural life-like movement in the water, 

 adding to it, also, an unnatural quantity of legs (hackles), which open 

 and shut, and move with the movements of the fly. 



"4. These ' movements' and alterations, however, make it impossible 

 for trout to discriminate minutely between the various unnatural imita- 

 tions of natural flies, whether in form or tint ; (5) and render it doubly 

 important that the imitation insect should be as characteristic and 

 fly -like" as possible in shape, lest the fish should fail to perceive the 

 resemblance altogether. 



" 6. General shape, general colour, and size are all that can be dis- 

 tinguished by the fish. These are the points, therefore, to be kept in 

 view in the construction of artificial trout flies." 



I think it will be admitted that these are fair deductions from the 

 positions taken up by the writer, and I think they are the correct and 

 unimpeaohably true lines upon whioh the angler should proceed. 



Again, I quote Mr. Pennell on his theory and its practice : 



" It would be better, on every ground, to select two or three of the 

 most favourite and distinctive families of flies, and imitate them only, 

 not in their varieties or even species, but, as it were, in their types, and 



Q 



