124 Artificial-Fly Fishing. 



then on the water, and so be guided in his choice. 

 Now he may find several species in existence at 

 the same time, but he will not find all equally 

 in favour with the trout; and such as are for 

 the nonce in high esteem should be largely repre- 

 sented on his cast, if he do not wish his pannier 

 to present a sorry appearance even on a very 

 favourable day. 



Many anglers entertain the idea that when their 

 flies, which may reasonably be expected to kill, do 

 not succeed well, it is necessary to exchange them 

 for others whose prototypes, it may be, are not then 

 on the water that, in fact, the want of success at 

 any time is always to be attributed to a bad selec- 

 tion of flies, and that they must be changed till a 

 happy issue confirm the choice. Even if we take no 

 account of the waste of time which such a proceed- 

 ing entails, and the loss of the opportunity when the 

 " rise " does come on, it is tantamount to surrender- 

 ing the position which they profess to maintain, and 

 admitting that, after all, what the trout will take 

 at any one season bears no relation to what nature 

 has provided for it at that season, and that one fly 

 is just as likely to kill as another at any season 

 whatever. My advice is, select carefully good imi- 

 tations of those flies which observation shows to be 

 on the water and most in favour with the trout, 

 and stick to them, in the assurance that if they 



