36 Tronting-Flies. 



unnatural condition by furnishing the " fly " with 

 an " unnatural quantity of legs," and by making it 

 perform equally unnatural evolutions. 



5. These legs and evolutions rendering it impos- 

 sible for the trout to distinguish the "fly "either 

 by form or tint, make the imitation " as character- 

 istic and fly-like as possible, lest the fish should 

 fail to perceive the resemblance altogether," for 

 " trout certainly take the artificial for the natural 



fly." 



There is very great danger indeed that the trout 

 will " fail to perceive the resemblance altogether " 

 of such a fly to the natural insect, but the danger 

 will be considerably increased if the angler adopt a 

 further recommendation which our author hastens 

 to give ; for, to make " confusion worse confounded," 

 after telling us that the fly should be " as charac- 

 teristic and fly-like as possible in shape," and that 

 " wings are an unmistakable characteristic of flies," 

 he adds on the next page, " wings are therefore 

 merely an encumbrance to the artificial trout-fly, 

 and should be entirely rejected." Doubtless wings 

 will be found an encumbrance and a snare to 

 flies that are already provided with " an unnatural 

 quantity of legs," and that are expected to perform 

 such wonderful evolutions on the water to disguise 

 their imperfections ; but it must surely be the dim- 

 ness of vision in some aged trout, or the blind 



