150 THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 



Marine Glue is used by some fly dressers instead of 

 wax for their tying silk. It is dark in colour, and conse- 

 quently would not suit to dress a light-coloured fly with. 

 It is made as follows : Dissolve by heat one part of pure 

 indiarubber in naphtha; when melted add two parts of 

 shellac ; heat until mixed ; pour when hot on a metal plate 

 to cool ; when required for use, melt and apply with a 

 brush. Another kind is made by dissolving twenty grains 

 caoutchouc in two fluid ounces of chloroform ; then add 

 four drachms powdered mastic ; let macerate for a week ; 

 must be kept cool and well corked. The first sort is the 

 more common and useful. 



May Fly, The. Two well-known flies come under 

 his designation, and as there is some confusion among 

 anglers in speaking of the May fly, a little explanation will 

 not be out of place. The green drake is the fly always 

 called the May fly in England, except in counties north of 

 the Humber, and in Ireland it is known as the Irish May 

 fly. The phrase "the fly is up" refers solely to the green 

 drake, w T hich is to be found on almost every river south of 

 the Humber. It sometimes appears during the last week 

 in May, but more commonly not until the first week in 

 June. An extended notice of this fly appears under the 

 heading " Green Drake." The stone fly is also called the 

 May fly north of the Humber and in Scotland, but is un- 

 known to the midland and southern fishermen, though it is 

 occasionally seen in Devonshire. The females of this 

 species are the largest flies taken by the trout. Their 

 period of existence is from two to three weeks. They are 

 produced from the larvae of the creeper (q.v.), and bred 

 at the bottom of rivers near the edges of gravelly streams. 

 The creepers leave the water about the middle of May, 



