ioo ROD AND RIVER 



required, I came across them, and examined 

 them. Two were dark-coloured duns, two 

 yellowish duns, and two a kind of red-spinner. 

 The dressing of the bodies seemed to me to err 

 on the score of sparseness ; they were rather too 

 under-dressed to please me ; but the wings were 

 marvellous. I examined them by the aid of a 

 pocket - glass, and could see that they were 

 evidently what they were stated to be viz., 

 natural wings, coated over, apparently, with some 

 thin, transparent preparation. I determined to 

 try one of them. The fish were not rising at all 

 freely ; but every one I succeeded in casting over 

 I took, and so long as my little stock lasted, I 

 never failed to hook, and generally to land, those 

 I could reach. I gave one of the six to a 

 friend, and I lost another in a bush ; the remaining 

 four lasted me far longer than the ordinary 

 feather-winged artificials would have done, and, 

 strange to say, never failed to do their duty, even 

 though the bodies of the latter were more like 

 those of the natural insect. Hence I came to 

 the conclusion that the winging of artificial 

 trout - flies is of greater importance than the 

 body. 



This method of preparing natural wings is the 

 invention of a Mr. Richardson, and flies so 

 dressed by him are to be obtained at most of the 

 principal tackle-shops throughout the country. I 



