THE GREY DRAKE AXD COCH-Y-BONDU. 



of a rather scarce colour, that tackle-makers often get it 

 a bad name by putting in any feathers that come to hand. 

 It is also a very troublesome fly to make, and the dressers 

 don't care about dressing it, and I believe often bless me 

 heartily for inventing it. 



The Grey Drake (Plate VII. fig. 2, p. 185) is, as I have 

 said, the transformation of the female green drake, and 

 towards evening its capabilities are <>f more value than 

 during the day. It is dressed, as regards the body and 

 legs, much after the fashion of the green drake, but several 

 shades lighter. The wing feathers, however, should be of 

 their natural colour, and undyed. The legs are often 

 dressed with the same feather. It is not, however, nearly so 

 valuable a fly as the green drake, though (as I have said) 

 useful for evening fishing, when it often picks up a brace 

 or two of the best fish. When the black drake comes on, 

 undyed teal wings will be found useful, a whitish straw 

 body, and a grey hackle with black but and stump. It 

 often lolls well of an evening. 



The Cock-y-Bondu, Shorn Fly, Hazel Fly, Marlow, 

 IflltT, Femwebb, Bracken Clock, &c. (see Plate VII. fig. 20, 

 p. 185), by all of which names this little beetle is known 

 as a great favourite with the trout. It comes in with the 

 warm June weather, though used as early as March, as 

 regards its supposed imitation. It is advantageously used 

 in daping. It resembles a very diminutive cockchafer, 

 and may be seen in great numbers, winging its heavy but 

 rapid flight through the sunshine, or settled on the leaves 

 and grass near the river-side. The ordinary way to dress 

 it is to make a fat body of dark copper-coloured peacock's 

 herl, mixed equally with black ostrich. It is customary 

 to dress it buzz, as to the wings and legs, with a dark red 

 hackle, with a black streak up the centre. Dressed in 

 this way, it will kill on most rivers, more or less, through- 

 out the season, though it is needless to pay that it is not 



