242 NOTES ON THE MONTHS FOR FLY-FISHING. 



being too small to be effective for anything except 

 grayling or small trout, we can scarcely commend 

 their use. It may be an artistic feat to land a fish 

 through the instrumentality of an artificial of this 

 description, when attached to gut collars as fine as 

 human hair, but the predominating chance of break- 

 ages, and the uncertainties over which the fly-fisher 

 exercises little or no control, of unsafely hooking, etc., 

 cause us to ignore these, adopting in preference a 

 safe-sized hook and fly, viz., the Little Chap. This 

 is somewhat less than the angler's Black Gnat, and 

 is dressed buzzy, and with this the fish's chance of 

 hooking and holding are largely increased. There are 

 some fly-fishers who care less about landing fish than 

 hooking and turning them ; to such as these, as a 

 matter of course, a more correct copy is preferred. 



About the middle of this month the Wren Tail 

 appears, and on hot days often in large numbers. 

 Being a land insect it is of much consequence to the 

 angler in calm weather. There are always, through 

 the season, a variety of " oddlings " about, which, as a 

 rule, affect neither fish nor fisherman, especially when 

 seasonable flies prevail. Favourable weather at this 

 part of the year for the fly implies brisk breezes, dull 

 cloudy skies, or sharp showers. The evening rise 

 after a hot, dry, sultry day, is nevertheless a famous 

 time for sport, the fish usually rising vigorously until 

 after twilight. The flies that have risen and hidden 

 in the foliage fringing the river's bank during the 

 day, turn out immediately the power of the sun begins 

 to wane. From the natural position of the fish in 



