24 Tr outing-Flies. 



quently more, were got with a particular fly, while 

 scarcely a fish was killed with any of the remaining 

 five, and this, too, in the darkest nights. The same 

 fly, it is true, did not kill on every occasion ; but a 

 certain and single shade of colour, representing a 

 particular species of fly, seemed to take their fancy 

 one night, and another and different fly another night, 

 to the almost complete exclusion of those presented 

 with it. If fish cannot, as our author says, dis- 

 criminate between different species even during the 

 day, how would he and his " colourist " account for 

 their selecting a particular fly during the darkness 

 of night, and this not on one occasion, but on 

 hundreds of occasions? 



As an analogous case I might cite the following: 

 When double-rod fishing was in vogue many years 

 ago, it was the practice to place from forty to fifty 

 hooks on the line, which extended across the stream 

 from bank to bank. Fish would on certain days 

 select certain flies, all of the same form and tint 

 imitations of the same species and reject almost 

 every other during the whole of the day's fishing. 

 Again, during the season of the sand or gravel fly, 

 which comes out in the early part of May, and, if 

 the weather be favourable, is seen on the water 

 till the middle of June, it has been my experience 

 that for every fish that can be killed with any 

 other artificial fly, ten will be killed with the sand- 



