200 THE BLAr:; !IA< KI.K. 



some beetle or fly wliich it may possibly resemble. There 

 are many spiders, as I have already pointed out, which 

 lead an aquatic existence, and I am very much of Mr. 

 Stewart's opinion that the angler does not sufficiently take 

 these useful aids to his art under his consideration. But 

 although I can speak tolerably positively as to what it is 

 not mistaken for, I do not pretend to speak nearly so 

 positively as to what it is mistaken for. Spider, beetle, 

 or larva, it is a very useful insect to the angler ; and 

 though I use it perhaps more for dace and chub than trout, 

 many anglers hold a different opinion of it, and dressed 

 with a full body of peacock herl on a No. 8, 9, or 10 hook, 

 and three or four turns of a fine blood red cock's hackle, 

 it will do some, and often a good deal of, execution from 

 March till October. 1 If the angler likes the coch-y-bondu 

 theory, he can dress it with a hackle with a black centre 

 to it, when it will kill equally well, sometimes better. A 

 further description of the coch-y-bondu will be found sub- 

 sequently. 



The Black Hackle is tied in the same way and of tho 

 same size with a black cock's hackle and peacock's herl 

 mixed with black ostrich, but it is a less useful fly ; in- 

 deed, I seldom employ it at all on our southern rivers. 



There are other flies recommended for March by various 

 writers, which may be adopted if the angler thinks fit. 

 Mr. Ronalds recommends the peacock fly, which is rather 

 a small winged beetle than a fly. It is somewhat local in 

 its character, but is pretty plentiful where it is found. Body, 

 bronze peacock's herl dressed with mulberry silk ; wing, 

 the darkest part of a starling's wing; legs, a hackle stained 

 dark purple, appearing black, but when held up to the 

 light having a dark tortoise-shell hue ; hook, No. 1 1 or 

 12. The angler will usually find, however, that for 



1 For chub the palmers are dressed upon Nos. 6 and 7 hooks, and often 

 hare as many as two hackles laid on to make them very bushy. 



