74 THE PRACTICAL ANGLER 



never found it nearly so deadly as our usual flies, 

 even when the water was coloured; and in clear 

 water it failed entirely, as all large flies will, for the 

 obvious reason that their size enables the trout to 

 detect their artificial character. Furthermore, we 

 have killed more trout with this imitation in the 

 month of May, before the real insects had made 

 their appearance, than in June, when the water was 

 swarming with them, which we ascribe to the cir- 

 cumstance that trout will take a larger fly in May 

 than in June. 



This opinion would not have been maintained so 

 long, but that there is at first sight a degree of 

 plausibility about it, and that it does not to any 

 great extent interfere with the successful practice of 

 fly-fishing. What is meant for an imitation of a 

 particular fly may occasionally do good service ; not 

 because the trout see any resemblance between it 

 and the fly it is intended to imitate, but because, if 

 the size and colour are suitable, it will just kill as 

 well as any other. And we believe the angler who 

 has a different fly for every day in the season will 

 kill nearly as many trout as the angler who adheres 

 to three or four varieties the whole season through ; 

 but he is proceeding upon an erroneous principle, 

 and losing both labour and time. 



That trout sometimes take more readily flies of 

 one colour than another is certain, and the reason of 

 their doing so affords room for a great deal of 

 ingenious speculation, but it is exceedingly difficult 

 to ascertain satisfactorily. We think that to some 



