78 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



" In May, the fly became lighter pale olive and 

 Yellow Dun. 



" In June, Yellow Dun, and Golden Dun or 

 Ginger Quill. 



" July to August, Ginger to pale watery, and as 

 September came, so did the Olive tint return, and in 

 October and November the fly again becomes the 

 Blue Dun of the opening months of the year. 



" But all these flies, no matter when hatched, 

 become in a few days the Red Spinner or Red Quill 

 Gnat. 



" In the same way, the Iron Blue, often the darkest 

 purple in the end of April, becomes paler through the 

 seasons, at some times taking on an olive tinge 

 you remember Francis Francis getting Judson's 

 Dyes to alter the colouring of the legs of his Iron Blues 

 and sometimes becoming almost as blue as a trans- 

 parent azure butterfly, but changing into the Jenny 

 Spinner, which is the parent of the race.* 



" The March Brown follows in the same way from 

 the dirty brown of April, through the turkey and light 

 March Brown, to the grout Red Spinner or 

 Mackerel. 



" I have found this myself correct in every way 

 on the Itchen in the Midlands in Wales or in 

 Scotland. There are the two sizes and in colours 

 almost accurately altering according to the time of 

 year, and so you will use your dark or light olive, 

 your iron blue or ginger dun ; remembering always 

 that a dark and dirty or cold day will make the taking 

 pattern a bit darker or earlier, and a bright dry time 

 will brighten up the shades and colours to be used. 



' The prevalence of the Red Spinner accounts for 

 the value of the Red Quill, or Wickham's Fancy 

 through the season and I think the Jenny Spinner 



* A very good imitation of this fly was known in my boyhood as 

 " Hammond's Fancy," but its relationship to the Iron Blue was not recognized 

 then. 



