THE WILLOW FLY. 



feather of that hue, and warped with yellow silk ; legs, dun 

 hackle with a grizzled dark-brown tinge, or, if this cannot 

 be got, a brown-red ; tail, the same with darkish starling 

 for wings; and this is the dressing which I prefer; hooks, 

 Nos. 10 and 11. The spinner of this fly resembles the 

 common red spinner. 



The Willow Fly (see Plate VII. fig. 13, p. 185) much 

 resembles the needle brown, and like it belongs to the 

 neuropterous flies of the genius Perlidae. It is seen on 

 warm days at intervals through the winter. Mr. Ronalds 

 recommends it to be dressed buzz. Body, mole's fur spun 

 on yellow silk ; wings and legs, a dark dun cock's hackle, 

 strongly tinged of a copper colour; hook, No. 10 or 11. 

 In Devonshire it is called the 'old besom,' elsewhere it is 

 almost universally known as the willow fly. 



Many small and delicate duns come on during this 

 month, but the angler will have good imitations in his 

 book from the list already given ; and though his best 

 sport will still be had in the evening, yet an occasional 

 raw and gusty day may come to the angler's aid, and, with 

 a gentle tinge of colour from rain in the water, help him 

 in making up a decent bag. September is usually a 

 much better month for the fly-fisher than August the fish 

 seem to rise better : but for the evening the sedge, cinna- 

 mon, barm fly (or nobbier), Hammond's adopted, and flies of 

 that class, with the moths, will be found the chief bill of 

 fare. Earlier in the evening various spinners and duns 

 particularly the whirling and on a windy dull day the 

 willow, with any special fancy of the angler's, must suffice 

 for his repertoire from now to the end of the season. 



There are many other flies given by good authorities, 

 but to describe them all would be an endless task. I have 

 therefore only added a few general flies which are tried 

 and well-deserved favourites, which may resemble some- 

 thing on or in the waters, but what that something is 



