IMITATION OF THE NATURAL INSECT 165 



2nd Its action. 



3rd Size of the fly. 



4th Form of the fly. 



5th Colour of the fly. 



The degrees of importance which separate 

 form, size, and colour may not be widely marked, 

 and, while an exact imitation of the colour, size, 

 and form of the insect which the trout are tak- 

 ing is undoubtedly the ideal combination, I 

 believe that if failure results from any variation 

 from this combination, colour is least respon- 

 sible for it. I cannot go so far as to say that 

 trout are entirely colour-blind, or that a cor- 

 rectly sized and shaped artificial dressed in blue 

 would kill a fish that was taking a natural yel- 

 low dun, but I do believe that even a great di- 

 vergence in the shade of colour of the artificial 

 tied in imitation of the natural insect would 

 make no material difference to the fish, if it were 

 properly presented. In fact, it is my opinion 

 that the artificial need not be yellow at all; 

 that a fly of subdued colour a Whirling Dun, a 

 Silver Sedge, a Pink Lady, or any fly of similar 

 conformation will be accepted by the fish feed- 

 ing upon a little yellow may if its presentation 

 is clean. 



We have all had experience with certain fish, 



