<90 THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 



localities, and are favourite baits for trout, who gorge 

 themselves to repletion on the countless insects which skim 

 along the surface of the water. The trout prefer the female 

 fly containing the eggs. The male green drake is nothing 

 but a bag of wind. The female pseudimago is the green 

 drake the perfect insect is the grey drake. 



FeathePS enter into the formation of the wings and 

 hackles of artificial flies, and contributions are levied upon 

 nearly every member of the feathered race. The wings of 

 trout flies are usually obtained from the starling, woodcock, 

 snipe, partridge, dotterel, landrail, water-rail, grouse, hen 

 and cock pheasant, &c. The hackle feathers principally 

 from the neck or back of head of game cock, neck feathers 

 of the domestic hen, the partridge, and tail feathers of the 

 wren. There is no feather that contributes to the manu- 

 facture of the variety of trout flies more largely than the 

 wing feather of the cock starling, taken from the inside of 

 the pinion ; it can be got with a variety of shades, from 

 light slate to almost black. It is an easy feather to work 

 with, being firm in texture and holding a close web. The 

 next principal feather for wings of trout flies is the landrail ; 

 this also is an easy feather to keep in shape, and choice of 

 colour can be had in this feather as well. The partridge 

 tail is a very universally employed feather, either by itself 

 or in conjunction with others ; it is a little difficult to keep it 

 in web, apt to get straggling in fibres, but it forms a pretty 

 and taking wing. The fibres of the dark mallard enter very 

 extensively into the formation of tails of trout flies, and the 

 red game cock's neck furnishes a most generally used hackle. 

 It is nearly impossible to possess all the feathers used in fly 

 making, but it is no harm for the angler to obtain as many 

 as possible ; and in his rambles in the country, should he 



