82 FISHING IN EDEN 



washed down willy nilly but seldom farther than 

 the first waiting trout. 



The female fly is much larger than the male, and 

 has also a greater length of wing so long in fact 

 that it is a very big mouthful for fish to take in 

 easily from the surface of streams. It is also 

 generally the female which takes venturesome flights 

 abroad. The male fly is smaller, and has very short 

 wings. Some of the males probably do fly, but with 

 the majority the wings are quite useless. The 

 females from head to tip of wing vary from an inch 

 and a quarter to an inch and a half ; the males are 

 not more than half these lengths. When the stones 

 on the gravel beds are turned over to secure these 

 flies, the female is much more clumsy in its efforts 

 to crawl away, and neither sex attempt safety in 

 flight. 



The creeper, if required for fishing, has to be 

 sought for under the stones of the river beds. It 

 is difficult to see in running water on account of its 

 protective back-colouring, and, as soon as a stone 

 is turned oy.er, darts quickly away for shelter under 

 another. 



At the very beginning of the creeper fishing 

 season the nymphs are difficult to get by hand, as 

 most of them are in mid-stream. As the gradual 

 migration to dry land proceeds they are easier to 



