CHAPTER V 



FLIES, FLY-DRESSING, ETC. 



THE practice of using artificial flies has undoubtedly 

 had its origin in the necessity for imitating insects 

 which cannot be used in their natural state. From 

 the first rude attempt at fly-making of some in- 

 genious angler, the art has gone on progressing, the 

 number of imitations always increasing, and the 

 prevalent opinion always being that, in order to fish 

 successfully, the angler must use an imitation of one 

 or other of the natural insects on the water at the 

 time. In spite of the exertions of Mr. Wilson and 

 Mr. Stoddart to inculcate an opposite theory, this 

 opinion is still held by the great majority of anglers 

 in Scotland, while in England it is all but universal. 

 Anglers holding these views rejoice in the possession 

 of as many different varieties of flies as would stock 

 a fishing-book, all of which they consider imitations 

 of so many real insects, and classify under the heads 

 of the different months when these appear. They 

 have a fly for the morning, another for noon, and 

 another for the evening of every day in the year, 

 and spend a great deal of time in taking off one fly, 



