THE TROUT. 95 



almost for every day in the month ; but the best 

 trouters I have ever known carry but few varieties 

 in their books, and are generally chary of changing 

 their cast, even though the fish decline taking as 

 readily as might be wished. Of course, I do not 

 mean that one fly, like one Irishman, is as good 

 as another, "or better;" but I think that, with 

 one or two exceptions, where nature can be closely 

 imitated, the March brown, the red ant, the stone 

 fly, the gray and green drake, the black and brown 

 palmers, for instance, size and colour have more 

 to do with the question of taking than anything 

 else has. There are some flies which fish in cer- 

 tain rivers affect, but which are almost useless else- 

 where. I have never killed trout in any Southern 

 stream with the little " white-tip," so famous on 

 Tweed, and I believe that neither the " governor " 

 nor the " coachman " are of much avail out of the 

 Southern and Midland Counties. My object is 

 not, however, to go into detail on this or any other 

 branch of my subject. I advise my readers to 

 provide good store of the flies I have named as 

 standard flies, and trust to local experience and 

 the advice of friends in filling up the spaces of 

 their book as occasion arises. 



In fishing for trout, it is essential to keep as far 

 from the bank as you reasonably can, and never to 



