n8 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



we did not. I consider the man who lands a trout 

 over one and a half pounds on a ooo fly extremely 

 lucky. The utmost skill and management are of no 

 avail with an absurd little hook that cannot, nine 

 times out of ten, get a real hold in a trout's 

 hard mouth. I make one exception, however, 

 in my advice ; some of the black flies ought to 

 be ooo. 



Also there is an exception to the suggestions 

 made, or rather an addition, in the other direction. 

 That excellent fly, the Wickham, might well be 

 procured in two sizes larger than o, to wit, 2 and 4. 

 The Wickham is perhaps the most useful all-round 

 fly in the dry-fly man's list, and very often I have 

 found a trout which has refused all my orthodox 

 small patterns come open-mouthed at a gaudy great 

 Wickham on a No. 2 hook. The largest size of all 

 is for use after sunset when the sedge flies are 

 about. The Wickham is a purely fancy fly, bearing 

 no resemblance to anything in nature ; but I fancy 

 the tiout must take it to be one of the sedges. At 

 any rate, I find it quite as effective in the evening 

 as an artificial sedge. It floats very well, too, which 

 is a decided recommendation when the light grows 

 dim. The coachman is another fancy fly, used for 

 trout principally in the evening. The white wings 

 make it very visible, which is an advantage. I 



