Flies for May. 4 5 



insect is at rest, and then the wings are incumbent ; 

 but to give the fly the appearance of alighting on 

 the water, I adhere to the plan I adopt in all other 

 imitations, and make the wings expanded. 



It is dressed with a mottled feather from the 

 teal drake (which, however, is rather lighter in 

 colour than the wings of the natural insect, but is 

 as close an imitation as possible), and black hackle 

 tied with black silk on a No. 2 hook. At the end 

 of May a red hackle is substituted for the black, 

 and tied with yellow silk. 



FLIES FOR MAY. 



5. TJie Sand-Fly, or Gravel-Bed Fly of English 

 authors. This fly " comes on " in the beginning of 

 May, usually about the 6th (later, if the season be 

 cold), and lasts till the beginning of June. It 

 belongs to the Tipulidse family or crane-flies so 

 called from their having long legs. Unlike the 

 other flies enumerated, the sand-fly is not hatched 

 in the water, but in the sand and gravel-beds 

 on the banks of the river. And this is the ex- 

 planation of the fact mentioned without comment 

 by both Eonalds and Francis, that "it is not 

 found upon all waters," and that " none are to 

 be seen on sedgy rivers which flow over a loamy 

 or muddy bed." Whenever the sand and gravel- 



