THE OAK FLY. 



a better one, as the green drake seldom appears in Ian;*- 

 numbers on many waters until June has commenced. The 

 female stone fly is much larger than the male, and is the 

 one principally used by anglers. The hook should be 

 No. 7, or No. 6 may even be used. Body, large and full 

 of mixed hare's ear and water-rat fur with a few strands 

 of yellow mohair worked in, the tail part being exclu- 

 sively of a somewhat brighter yellow ribbed distinctly 

 with yellow silk: legs, a grizzled dark blue dun cock's 

 hackle ; tail, two strands of a brown mallard's feather ; 

 wing, hen pheasant's wing. The horns or feelers on the 

 stone fly are very marked, and if it be thought desirable 

 to have them, may be dressed upright of two rabbit's 

 whiskers. A large specimen of this fly is one of the best 

 lures for the wily trout of the Thames. The larva of this 

 fly is used for fishing even more than the fly ; it is called 

 the crab or creeper. (See Creeper-fishing.) 



The Oitk Fly-, called also the cannon fly, the down-hill 

 or down-looker, &c., from his habit of always sitting with 

 its head downwards towards the ground. It is amusing 

 to tee with what certainty this fly will assume this par- 

 ticular posture ; no matter in what way it perches on post 

 or tree, it immediately wheels round until it lias taken up 

 its favourite position, in which it remains until disturbed. 



This fly has a very high character from some anglers. 

 * Ephemera ' especially appears to have been very fond of it, 

 and in windy weather it may prove an attractive lure ; on 

 tine still days, however, as it is not strictly a water fly, it 

 is not found so plentifully upon the water. Being a 

 largish fly, it may be used advantageously for daping 

 perhaps ; though I never used it for daping. It is a great 

 favourite on the Tweed, and last season I killed several 

 good fish with it. Hook, No. 9 or 10 5 body, orange floss 

 silk. The legs should be composed of a coch-y-bondu 

 hackle, i.e. a dark red hackle with a streak of black up the 



