26 THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 



spots where the first one or two fish have been caught you 

 are nearly safe to assume that those are the favourite 

 positions all over the stream for that particular day, or the 

 greater portion of it. The best works to study on ordinary 

 fly fishing for trout are "The Practical Angler," by W. C. 

 Stewart, and " Angling," by Francis Francis. Both are 

 excellent, and should certainly be in the library of every fly 

 fisher. 



Artificial Fly Making* is difficult to explain by 

 writing ; it requires to have a lesson or two from a pro- 

 fessional to show the manipulation necessary to make a 

 proper fly, and it takes a good deal of practice, after all the 

 lessons have been learnt, before a tyro can fabricate one 

 which will entice a wary trout to take it. Still, if an angler 

 loves his sport, anything relating to it has such especial 

 interest for him, that it is wonderful how soon a seemingly 

 difficult task is overcome. The fly dresser must have a good 

 deal of patience, and a thorough desire of overcoming 

 difficulties. The first fly or two that a man ties he bungles 

 over, sometimes for an hour or two, and is almost 

 frightened at what he has produced, but very soon his eye, 

 his fingers, and his imagination work so thoroughly in 

 unison that in a short time he may be able to tie a fly in a 

 few minutes. This much is certain the quicker the fly 

 can be fabricated, entailing less handling of the materials, 

 the more natural the finished imitation will appear. Some 

 must have a host of implements at hand before they can 

 start to their work a vice (which for trout fly tying is 

 perfectly unnecessary), one or two pairs of scissors, a pair of 

 pliers, a dubbing needle, &c. Many of the best fly dressers 

 that can be produced, whose flies are eagerly sought after, 

 never use any instrument but their fingers and a pair of 



