FISHES AND FISHING. 207 



cation of what we suppose Izaak "Walton to have 

 been. 



I quite agree with Mr. Rennie, and other authors 

 of celebrity, that the amazing diversity of artificial 

 flies is not necessary. I used generally to find it the 

 most successful mode, to observe what fly was on the 

 water, and to use a fly or palmer of the same colour 

 as near as possible ; and if I had not one, to sit down 

 and make it. Palmers made of live hackles are very 

 successful, for they resemble a fly in rapid motion 

 which has fallen into the water, and is using its wings 

 to extricate itself, and the action the angler gives it, 

 by the tremulous motion of his rod, completes the 

 deception. Palmers, it is supposed by some persons, 

 are intended to represent the long-haired and varie- 

 gated caterpillars ; but I think the above explana- 

 tion is more reasonable. Throw into a river one of 

 these last-mentioned insects, it floats down with the 

 current an inert, unattractive mass; throw into a 

 stream a fly of any kind, and a caterpillar, the former 

 will be immediately and eagerly caught by a fish, 

 while the latter will be allowed to pass unnoticed for 

 a considerable time, and probably be wholly neg- 

 lected. 



Mr. L. and myself, in coming home one evening 

 from the Wandle, I having a proper fishing basket, 

 were annoyed by observations and low witticisms on 



