NOVEMBER. 95 



Light, dark, and little dark drakes. Continue to hatch, 

 more or less, as the weather and water permit. 



Red and little red drakes. Out on line days, but less in 

 numbers. 



Freckled and light duns. Out on fine days and warm even- 

 ings, but not numerous. 



Red dun. Out on fine evenings. 



House and lion flies, and bronze beetle. Out in good num- 

 bers, on fine days, to the end. 



Ear wigs. Out numerous at the back end and close of 

 the season, when many fall on the waters, and are taken by 

 grayling and smelt. They vary from a quarter to half an 

 inch in length. Some are red, others jet black, and are 

 glossy. The short flappers of some are edged with amber, 

 and, in the sun, throw off short gilded reflections, from a 

 thin fine down. The three-eighths black are probably the 

 most numerous. The black silver and golden hackle will 

 imitate these insects if drest to shape and size. 



NOTE. The dark drakes bear cold days like the blue 

 drake in the spring. According to observations of many 

 years, the remnants at the close of the season are the needle 

 brown, lion and house fly, the bronze beetles, and the ear 

 wigs, with some small hardy gnats, beetles, etc., that are of 

 no use to the flyfisher. The angling flies have dwindled 

 away, a touch or two of frost and all the top food of the 

 fish will be swept off. The needles are the last to give 

 in ; and imitations of bygone flies will not prevail. The 

 fish will continue to rise so long as flies come naturally on 

 the water, but not longer ; they rarely rise in the absence 

 of all top food. The hardy winter craftsman with his 

 brandlings may pack his pannier with black fat grayling, 

 but the flyfisher's occupation is gone ; his flimsy foundations 

 have perished ; they were but a breath, subject to all the 

 skiey influences, which begins and ends their career ; and 



