I 3 6 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



when the rise was over. The general principles so much 

 favoured by our friends in the north, in their selection of flies, 

 would have been utterly useless here. There is no doubt that a 

 general selection of a dozen flies (upon the principles advocated 

 by the author of The Practical Angler, Mr. Stewart) for the 

 entire season, makes very easy work of it, and the angler is not 

 much puzzled as to selection. Such a system may suit the 

 northern rivers, but, upon our well- whipped southern streams, 

 where the trout are exceedingly wary and well-educated, the 

 fish like a little more attention paid to their fancies ; and we 

 are obliged, too, to pay that attention, because we have not 

 generally those resources in minnow, worm, and larva fishing 

 to fall back upon, when we fail with the fly, which our brothers 

 over the border practise, for upon our best streams they are not 

 allowed, and we are restricted to artificial fly-fishing. I do not 

 doubt for one moment that Mr. Stewart's flies I select Mr. 

 Stewart, not as the originator perhaps, but as the exponent of a 

 system I say I. do not doubt that Mr. Stewart's flies kill well 

 at times, because the best of them very strongly resemble some 

 of the best flies that are found on pretty well every river in the 

 kingdom as duns, spinners, midges, and those very general 

 favourites, the sand and cinnamon flies. Then Mr. Stewart has 

 two imitations, called the red and black spider, and there are 

 two water insects, a red and black spider, which I have 

 often caught in my entomological wanderings, which are 

 widely distributed, and which these imitations also resemble. 

 Now, I apprehend that it is only because these combinations of 

 fur and feather in some sort resemble the flies which the fish are 

 in the habit of seeing on the water, that the fish take them at 

 all. This must be conceded ; if it be not, why does the fly- 

 fisher adhere to the form, colour, and size of those flies at all ? 

 Why have they wings and legs and bodies like flies ? Why are 

 they of the same size ? Why does he not fish with a bunch of 

 feathers of any colour, and tied on anyhow ? Why should he 

 have any choice in the matter ? Why even have a dozen flies ? 

 and why should one kill one day and not another ? It is clear 

 that he has a choice and a variety because the fish have, and 

 he finds it necessary to " pander to their base tastes and 

 fancies " to some extent. His 1 art is unquestionably a decep- 

 tion, and he must allow that he is deceiving the fish with 

 the imitation of a fly. Then I do not see how he can get out of 

 the sequence that the better the imitation the more likely it is 

 to deceive, and if he is obliged to consult the fishes' tastes at all, 



