166 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



gives the exact tinge of the May fly wing. The darker the 

 original feather, the more green it will be, and the lighter the 

 more yellow, and thus it can be varied to suit the river, as 

 the flies vary much in colour. I do not think this particular 

 hue is to be got so well in any other way. The hackle point 

 being held up to the light gives a transparency which no close 

 or solid feather will. To my mind, it is a capital imitation, 

 and I am very sure, after four years' experience of it, that the 

 fish think so too, for I have killed many a good basket of fish 

 with it when I could not get them to take any other patterns 

 which I had in my book. I had several very striking evidences 

 of its superiority even during the past season, killing a large 

 quantity of fine fish with it. In one instance, on the Kennett, 

 I had killed many fish with one. It was rather worn, and after 

 lunch I was about to change it, when the proprietor of the 

 water, a very good fisherman, who knew his own water exceed- 

 ingly well, advised me to try in preference another fly of a 

 different pattern, as better suited to his fish. I took his advice, 

 and fished for half an hour without a rise, coming over many 

 rising fish in vain. At length I bethought me of giving my old 

 favourite another turn, and I changed back again, and begun 

 to kill fish with it immediately, continuing to do so for the 

 rest of the day. On another river I killed in one afternoon 

 seven and a half brace of splendid fish with it, while my com- 

 panion, who was fishing with another pattern, took but a brace 

 of small fish. I lent him one of mine, and he lost it in a good 

 fish. Unfortunately, I was so short in my stock that I could 

 not supply him further. These are facts which others can 

 testify to, and therefore I mention them. It does not float 

 so well as the mallard wing, and it is a very difficult fly to get 

 properly dressed. It consumes so many hackles, of a rather 

 scarce colour, that tackle makers often get it a bad name by 

 putting in any feathers that come to hand. It is also a very 

 troublesome fly to make, and the dressers don't care about 

 dressing it, and I believe often bless me heartily for inventing it. 

 The Grey Drake (Plate VIII, Fig. 2, p. 134) is, as I have said, 

 the transformation of the female green drake, and towards 

 evening its capabilities are of more value than during the day. 

 It is dressed, as regards the body and legs, much after the 

 fashion of the green drake, but several shades lighter. The 

 wing feathers, however, should be of their natural colour, and 

 undyed. The legs are often dressed with the same feather. 

 It is not, however, nearly so valuable a fly as the green drake. 



