ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLIES 99 



can be employed that is at all similar to the latter. 

 That which is used for the majority of the best- 

 dressed artificials is a pinch out of a starling's 

 wing - feather ; yet there is no more actual 

 resemblance between this and the natural wing 

 than there is between the coarsest sail-cloth and 

 the finest gauze. Nevertheless, fish do take 

 flies so dressed, and goodly baskets are obtained 

 by their use. The bodies are not so difficult to 

 deal with, and by the aid of strips of quill, natural 

 and dyed, can be very fairly imitated, so far as 

 their appearance to the naked eye is concerned. 

 Here, then, was my difficulty. 



As I have said, the fish in my own river are 

 most fastidious and difficult to catch, and on 

 anything like a bright day it is hopeless to try for 

 them. 



Some two or three seasons ago a friend gave 

 me some half-dozen small trout-flies, which he 

 said had been sent to him by the inventor for 

 him to try, stating that they were dressed with 

 the natural wings of water-flies, prepared in some 

 manner so as to render them strong enough to 

 stand the wear and tear of fishing. I did not 

 look at them very closely at the time, and, being 

 occupied in discussing other matters,' put them 

 into my book and forgot all about them. The 

 following season, when searching for a suit- 

 able fly, and being unable to see what I 



