1>* WHY WE IMITATE FLIES. 



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, sedge, and cin- 

 namon 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 appre- 

 hend 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 be 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 art is unquestionably a de- 

 ception, 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, the more sedulously he 

 consults them the more likely he is to pleasejthem, and 

 this is all that we Southrons do. This is a position which 

 I do not think it is possible to upset. Nor do I see what 

 can be said beyond it. If it be urged that colorology is 

 easier, demands less study, consideration or variety, that 

 appears to me to be a lazy argument, applicable to every 

 science, and cuts away one of the most interesting branches 

 of the fisher's amusement. The trout in the north are 



