146 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



The March Brown, or cob-fly of Wales ; brown drake, 

 Yorkshire (see Plate VIII, Fig. 3, p. 134). This is another very 

 celebrated fly, and when on, it is a great and deserved favourite. 

 It comes on in March, and lasts, with its metamorphosis, the 

 great red spinner, until May. It can be used at times through- 

 out the season, but its advent is in March, when some waters 

 positively swarm with it. It varies slightly in size, and the 

 male and female differ a little in shade of colour, the female 

 having a greenish tinge, and being of a somewhat lighter 

 colour. It is a largish fly, and should be dressed usually on a 

 No. 8 hook, though on fine waters it is dressed smaller. Body, 

 of a dark brown fur, hare's ear or face, ribbed with tawny 

 yellow silk (some use straw-colour) ; legs, hackle from a 

 partridge's back ; tail, two strands of the same ; wings, 

 the dark mottled and blurred feather from a cock pheasant's 

 wing (some use partridge tail, or a mottled woodcock feather, 

 or the speckled feather from a game hen's rump, but the 

 pheasant's wing is the best imitation). For the female, the 

 legs may be from the partridge breast, the tail of the same, 

 and a few shreds of any olive fur may be introduced amongst 

 the hare's ear, and the wing may be a shade lighter than that 

 used for the male. If the fly be on strongly, the angler will 

 find his account in having both male and female on his cast. 

 This is also an indispensable fly to the angler. As I have said, 

 this fly changes into the great red spinner. Some people have 

 a high opinion of the great red spinner. I have never done a 

 great deal of business with it, though it is, no doubt, a good 

 evening fly throughout the season, as, indeed, is any other 

 largish brown fly. It is a strong active fly, and not easily 

 driven on the water against its will, and the trout, therefore, 

 have less opportunity of cultivating its acquaintance than 

 they have of its original, the March brown. I do not consider 

 it an indispensable fly, but as some do fancy it, it should be 

 dressed of the same size as the March brown, or a size larger, 

 with a red squirrel's fur body, ribbed with gold twist ; amber- 

 red cock's hackle for legs ; two long strands of the same for 

 the tail ; wing, the bright glassy golden feather from the 

 wing of a thrush. It is a very elegant fly, if the fishes be 

 discriminators of beauty. 



The Cow-dung or Lion Fly. This is one of the most useful 

 of the land flies, particularly on windy days, such as the 

 angler may expect in March and April. Wherever there be 

 meads and cows, there the angler may be sure, particularly in 



