250 NOTES ON THE MONTHS FOR FLY-FISHING. 



the supply of flies is unfailing; but upon these quitting 

 the surface of the water, the fish gradually retire again 

 to the still deeps. The best flies to use for grayling 

 are the Grey-palmer, Willow and Needle Fly, the 

 Little Pale Blue, and seasonable shades of the Olive 

 Dun order, which are all more or less numerous at 

 this time, if seasonable weather prevails. The first- 

 named is taken freely when the common wood and 

 house flies are stricken with cold, and are carried upon 

 the water by every gust of wind. Every naturalist 

 knows that these flies go blind in this and the follow- 

 ing month, but they don't all know that they furnish 

 food for fish. Father Izaak used to make this fly 

 from grey badger's hair : he terms it the Hearth fly ; 

 but there is every reason for believing it to be the 

 common house fly. The inexperienced would natu- 

 rally suppose that a copy of the insect at rest, in 

 correct attitude, would be the thing to fish with ; but 

 owing to the incessant struggles of the " natural" 

 when on the water, this would practically prove a 

 great mistake. Most land flies flutter conspicuously 

 when upon the water, causing a ripple which is not 

 infrequently taken for the rise of a fish. The Willow 

 and Needle flies are also great favourites with these 

 fish, and when sufficiently prevalent are the centre of 

 attraction for the time being. The Little Pale 

 Blue (September shade of the Iron Blue), like all 

 little ephemerals, is fully appreciated throughout the 

 autumn. These flies appear upon bright days, and 

 are general flies upon every trout and grayling stream. 

 The temperature of the weather and water being now 



