LATER SWARMS OF THE IROX-BLUE. 211 



and will be almost of the right colour, Now, two turns 

 of a dark slate-blue dun hackle, and now, almost upright, 

 a wing composed of very fine dark smoky blue, or lead- 

 coloured feather. Wade recommends the small feather 

 in the cormorant's wing or the tomtit's tail; Ronalds, 

 cormorant, tomtit wing or breast of water-hen ; Theak- 

 stone, breast of water-hen ; and Jackson, wing of water- 

 hen ; so the tyer can take his choice. The fact is, the 

 wing varies in darkness or lightness, as does both the body 

 and hackle. Tail, did you say ? True, we had forgotten 

 the tail, but it is not of much consequence ; and I as often 

 use it without as with, as the tail in the living insect is 

 stuck upwards from the water, and, I am inclined to 

 think, is unnoticed by the trout. However, as it is well 

 to have your fly perfect if you wish it, tie in at the end of 

 the whipping a couple of strands of a lighter hackle than 

 the one you use. The natural insect has rather a promi- 

 nent head, and eyes of a bright brown colour, and if you 

 like to take half a turn of reddish squirrel fur at the 

 extreme shoulder, it will improve the fly. The iron-blue 

 comes out on bleak days early in the season, when there 

 is a glint of sunshine; but there is another little dark 

 dun which much resembles the iron-blue, but it is not so 

 dark, being a shade or two lighter throughout, and the 

 body should be lightly ribbed with fine straw-coloured 

 silk. This fly, often taken for the iron-blue, comes on 

 several times later in the season. It is quite possible that 

 it may be a reproduction of the iron-blue, as the iron- 

 blues themselves vary in depth of colour slightly, being 

 i-hter on one river than another. It is a valuable lure, 

 and the angler should have two or three shades of it, for 

 [ have often been puzzled, though having different shades, 

 ri hitting the exact hue ; and colour is, as I have before 

 ;ai(l, a great point with the trout. 



And now look sharp, for half an hour has passed while 



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