178 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



Soldier Palmer. A capital fly in warm weather, particularly 

 when the water is a little coloured. Hook, No. 9, 10, or n ; 

 body, bright red crewel, ribbed with gold thread ; legs and 

 wings, a bright red cock's hackle, struck from tail to head. I 

 usually have two sizes of this fly in my book ; it is always 

 well worth a trial if the angler is at a loss towards evening, 

 and if there be a scarcity of fly. 



I cannot pass over this branch of my subject without 

 noticing the flies used by Mr. Stewart. He principally employs 

 six, three of which are termed spiders, and three winged flies. 

 Their sizes are from No. 12 to 15 of the Kendal or round bend 

 hooks ; and they are dressed sparely, with very little body 

 and not too much hackle. The spiders are merely hackle or 

 buzz flies, and are of three kinds. 



1. The Black Spider. This is made with the small feather of the 

 cock starling, dressed with brown silk. 



2. The Red Spider is made with the small feather taken from the 

 outside of the landrail's wing, dressed with yellow silk. 



3. The Dun Spider is made from the small soft dun or ash-coloured 

 feather taken from the outside of the dotterel's wing, failing that 

 from the inside wing of the starling. 



The winged flies are as follows : 



1. A woodcock wing, with a single turn of red hackle or landrail, 

 dressed with yellow silk freely exposed in the body. For coloured 

 water it may be dressed with scarlet thread. 



2. Hare lug body, with a corn bunting or chaffinch wing ; a 

 woodcock wing may be put to the same body, but should be made 

 from the small light-coloured feather from the inside of the wing. 



3. Woodcock wing with a single turn of a soft black hen hackle, 

 or a small feather taken from the shoulders of the starling, dressed 

 with dark-coloured silk. 



Mr. Stewart adds that, by varying the wings and body, 

 a great number of killing flies may be made, but he pins his 

 faith upon the above six patterns ; and certainly with these 

 flies varied in size, and with the assistance of worm, minnow, 

 and larva, there are few more successful anglers in the south 

 of Scotland or on the Border than Mr. Stewart. 



I here subjoin, to simplify matters for the young angler, 

 a list of flies which I find sufficient usually for all general 

 purposes, and which I do not like to be without : 



