MR. FRANCIS'S MAY FLY. 227 



and blue dun hackle found on the Andalusian cock ; those 

 which have a brilliant transparent point, on being held up 

 to the light, being preferred for the superior wings. They 

 should be stained a pale yellow, and this on the blue ground 

 gives the exact tinge of the May-fly wing. The darker 

 the original feather, the more green it will be, and the 

 lighter the more yellow, and thus it can be varied to suit 

 the river, as the flies vary much in colour. I do not think 

 this particular hue is to be got so well in any other way. 

 The hackle-point being held up to the light gives a trans- 

 parency which no close or solid feather will. To my mind, 

 it is a capital imitation ; and I am very sure, after some 

 years' experience of it, that the fish think so too, for I have 

 killed many a good basket of fish with it when I could not 

 get them to take any other patterns which I had in my 

 book. I have had several very striking evidences of its 

 superiority on many past occasions, often killing a large 

 quantity of fine, fish with it. In one instance, on the 

 Kennet, I had killed many ash with one. It was rather 

 worn, and after iunch I was about to change it, when the 

 proprietor of the water, a very good fisherman, who knew 

 his own water exceedingly well, advised me to try in pre- 

 ference another fly of a different pattern, as better suited 

 to his fish. I took his advice, and fished for half an hour 

 without a rise, coming over many rising fish in vain. At 

 length I bethought me of giving my old favourite another 

 turn, and I changed back again, and begun to kill fish 

 with it immediately, continuing to do so for the rest of 

 the day. On another river I killed in one afternoon seven 

 and a half brace of splendid fish with it, while my com- 

 panion, who was fishing with another pattern, took but a 

 brace of small fish. I lent him one of mine, and he lost 

 it in a good fish. Unfortunately, I was so short in my 

 ! stock that I could not supply him further. It is a difficult 

 fly to get properly dressed. It consumes so many hackles, 



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