ON TROUTING WITH THE FLY 111 



killed their due proportion when changed to the 

 taking fly. 



In order to ascertain the relative value of the tail- 

 fly and the droppers, we fished for a succession of 

 days with three flies of exactly the same size, colour, 

 and shape, and tied upon gut of the same thickness. 

 At the conclusion, the proportion stood 3, 2, 2, the 

 droppers thus capturing the same number, and the 

 tail-fly a half more than either of them. We also 

 fished for several days with four flies of the same 

 kind, when the proportion was 12, 7, G, 8. The 

 tail-fly has the best chance, because in casting to 

 the opposite bank, where the most trout are taken 

 with the fly, it alone reaches it. The gut is also only 

 on one side of it, whereas the others have gut on both 

 sides. It will be seen that after the tail-fly, the 

 dropper nearest the line has the next best chance, 

 which we ascribe to its being nearest the bank when 

 casting on the same side of the water on which we 

 were standing. The foregoing trials were made with 

 the view of ascertaining when a fly is not doing its 

 duty and ought to be changed ; they were all con- 

 ducted in a river which could be commanded from 

 bank to bank. In a large river we should suppose 

 that the proportions would be slightly different, 

 and that the tail-fly would not kill so much in 

 proportion. 



The time of year when trout begin to take fly 

 readily entirely depends upon the nature of the river 

 and the season. They never rise freely at the 

 artificial fly until they are accustomed to feed upon 



