APRIL. 25 



APRIL. 



SOL wins the ascendency, and blunts the sharp teeth of 

 rebellious winds withered winter vanishes in flowery green 

 and woodland music the welcome swallow halts on her 

 native chimney, while thick around descend the vital sparks. 

 Stick to the streams fisherman, while spring invigorates the 

 game. Trout squats by sharp streams and in ambush 

 checks the rapids, hungry and bold he dashes unerring at 

 the passing fly. Grayling woo in the gravelly draws 

 disturb or take them not. The royal samlet deserts the 

 narrow limits of his native home, and joins in shoals to 

 seek dominion in encircling seas. The waters pour their 

 winged progeny into air. Among the rest, fishermen ! 

 take heed ! the imperial Empress comes. 



19TH. MOTTLED BROWN. Full length, about half an 

 inch ; length, better than a quarter ; wings, near three- 

 eighths, which when folded, appear of a red brown ground 

 veined and spotted, or mottled with darker, like the 

 feathers in a partridge's tail ; shoulders and body darkish 

 brown ; legs, a tortoise shell mixture, dark at the joints ; 

 is hatching this month and continues through the next. 



Body, shoulders, and head, orange silk ; wings and legs 

 a partridge's tail feather, red, spotted with darker. 



20TH. HOUSE FLY. 13 Full length near three-eighths; 

 length, a quarter ; wings, a quarter, which are clear and 

 transparent, of a brown tinge ; eyes large and brown, set 

 in a rim of silver ; shoulders, a mixture of dark stone and 



(13) Jackson does not give the imitation of this fly until October, and Mr. 

 Francis mentions tLe fact that the fish take them more readily in the autumn, as 

 they then become weak and blind, and fall upon the water ; both this and the follow- 

 ing fly are, however, most effective when used in the natural state, large dishes of 

 fish being sometimes caught in bright summer weather by dibbing with it on the 

 finest drawn gut behind bushes, etc., on the deeps of trout rivers ; some anglers are 

 great adepts at this style of fishing, but I must confess that it is a branch of the art 

 for which I care little, and rarely adopt, unless compelled by force of circumstances. 



