116 TROUT FISHING 



the evening rise, especially if rising fish are few and 

 far between. The black one is excellent for smutting 

 trout; indeed, all four have their uses in that 

 emergency. I suppose that the success of the series 

 simply depends on the fact that each fly is sufficiently 

 typical of some series of insects, diptera as well as 

 duns, on which trout feed. Oddly enough, though 

 I have carefully tried a hackle olive of the same type 

 I have never done any good with it worth mention- 

 ing. But Mr. Rolfs " Sylph," a little grayling 

 fly with a green silk body, has sometimes been very 

 useful, and ought perhaps to be added to the series. 

 At one time I found myself hoping that this 

 hackle series would render floating winged duns 

 unnecessary, but I have now relinquished that 

 hope. Winged patterns seem emphatically better 

 in certain circumstances, as when fish are rising 

 freely at a good hatch of olives. Also, on some very 

 shy day, when I expect the hackle series to do best, 

 I occasionally find that the old-fashioned winged 

 red quill beats them all. I also had great hopes of 

 Mr. Halford's beautiful spinners when I first made 

 their acquaintance. These dainty creations seemed 

 likely to do all that could be required of a series 

 of " typical " flies. But only one of them has really 



specially made. They are round-bend, very light in the wire 

 and you must not treat them too roughly, but for delicate work 

 and shy fish I have found them admirable. 



