420 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART It* 



some of his by other names, too : but if I do, I shall 

 make you amends by an addition to his catalogue* 

 And although the fore-named great master in the art 

 of angling, for so in truth he is, tells you that no 

 man should, in honesty, catch a Trout till the middle 

 of March ; yet I hope he will give a man leave sooner 

 to take a Grayling, which, as I told you, is in the dead 

 months in his best season : And do assure you, which 

 I remember by a very remarkable token, I did once 

 take upon the sixth day of December one, and only 

 one, of the biggest Graylings and the best in season, 

 that ever I yet saw or tasted i And do usually take 

 Trouts, too and with a fly not only before the mid- 

 dle of this month, but, almost every year, in February, 

 unless it be a very ill spring indeed. And havej 

 sometimes, in January so earl?/ as New-year's tide ; 

 and, in frost and snow< taken, Grayling in a warm 

 sunshine day for an hour or two about noon. And, 

 to fish for him with a Grub, it is then the best time 

 of all. 



I shall therefore begin my fly-fishing with that month : 

 though I confess, very few begin so soon ; and that, 

 such as are so fond of the sport as to embrace all op* 

 portunities, can rarely in that month, find a day fit for 

 their purpose. And tell you, that, upon my know- 

 ledge, these flies in a warm sun, for an hour or two in 

 the day are certainly taken : 



JANUARY. 



1. A RED BROWN; with wings, of the male of a 

 mallard, almost white ; the dubbing, of the tail of a 

 black long -coated cur$ such as they commonly make 

 muffs of, for the hair on the tail of such a dog dyes, 

 and turns, to a red brown, but the hair of a smooth- 

 coated dog of the same colour will not doj because it 

 will not dye, but retains its natural colour. [The 

 dubbing is to be warped on as No. 1, in February , 

 infra. ] And this fly is taken j in a warm sun^ this 

 whole month through. 



