118 TWO DAYS FLY-FISHING 



flavour and firmness a fish which has been killed 

 earlier in the day. Indeed the epicures belonging 

 to some of the clubs will not allow one of the latter 

 to be dressed for their dinner, and I must say that 

 they are right. 



As we were contented with our morning's sport, 

 anil had a short time to spare, we seated ourselves 

 on the bank of the river to enjoy the animated 

 scene before us. As the day advanced, the flies 

 became more numerous, until at last the space 

 about us was thickened with them to a degree 

 which I had never witnessed before, except on the 

 banks of the Colne, at Denham. The history of 

 this beautiful insect is not yet sufficiently known, 

 nor am I sure that I can throw much light upon it. 

 The May-fly, or as they are sometimes called, the 

 day-fly, take their name from the shortness of their 

 life. Some live several days, others do not take 

 flight 'till the setting of the sun, and seldom live 

 'till morning. Some exist an hour, others half that 

 time. Mr. Barbut observes, with respect to those 

 that live some days, that they have to cast off one 

 slough more, an operation which sometimes takes 

 twenty -four hours to complete. The ephemerae 

 before they fly, have been decidedly aquatic insects 

 up to that time. They remain in the states of larva 

 and chrysalis for one, two or three years. The 

 chrysalis differs from the larva by having on its 

 back, cases containing the rudimentary wings. Both 



