THE TAY 285 



Tay. The first fly has no name ; and as most of the flies on 

 the Tay have a name, I give it the very suitable one of 



The Policeman, blue being his prevailing tinge, and taking 

 of prisoners his occupation. Tag, silver tinsel and red-orange 

 floss ; tail, light brown speckled turkey and yellow swan ; 

 body, rough darkish medium blue pig's wool ; hackle one 

 shade darker, dark reddish brown hackle at shoulder ; broad 

 silver tinsel ; a few sprigs of medium claret and orange pig's 

 wool thrown in just under the shoulder hackle ; wing, light 

 brown speckled turkey, with a bunch of bronze peacock's herl 

 over it. Hooks 3^ ins. to 2 ins. This fly, made of the largest 

 Tay size, does well for high spring water. Mr. Davidson has 

 a high opinion of it, and he has reason to have, as he says, 

 " I have found this fly the best on the Tay until the second 

 week in May ; with the identical specimen I enclose, I killed 

 in a few hours on the Stobhall water four clean run fish in the 

 beginning of May." 



The Waterwitch. There are two specimens of this fly, one 

 with a rough pig's wool body, and this is the larger fly, and one 

 of floss, but the colours are similar. Tag, silver tinsel and 

 golden floss ; tail, a topping ; butt, black ostrich ; body, one- 

 third yellow, two-thirds lightish blue ; hackle, jay (only over the 

 blue) ; wing, a (round spot) gallina feather, over this mixed 

 wing, gold pheasant tail, brown and grey turkey, fibres of 

 tippet and sword feathers, and blue macaw ribs. Of these 

 Mr. Davidson adds : " They are my favourites, and I will 

 back them against any others for the Tay, the Tummel, the 

 Garry, and the Orchy, from the month of May to the close of 

 the season." Barring the gallina feather in the wing, the 

 pattern is a wonderfully general favourite throughout Scotland. 

 Hooks from 2\ ins. to if in. 



The Lion. Tag, embossed silver tinsel and ruby floss ; 

 tail, a topping ; butt, black ostrich ; body, embossed silver 

 tinsel, showing a few thin rings of pale green floss between ; 

 hackle (at shoulder) longish black heron ; wing, fibres of 

 peacock, brown mallard, pinkish stained grey mallard, tippet, 

 and gallina, two toppings set on apart like wings, with blue 

 macaw ribs. 



Mr. Davidson thus concludes : " The blue body and pea- 

 cock's wing (Policeman) for spring ; the Waterwitch for 

 summer and autumn, and the Lion at the close of the season, 

 are what I chiefly depend on ; and, armed with a proper 

 assortment of these, the angler requires no other lure." 



