116 ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 



early and light brown, the clouded feathers from under 

 the wing of the hen pheasant, for the clouded wings of the 

 March brown ; the partridge grey from the breast ; brown 

 from the shoulders ; and spotted red from the tail for the 

 veined and checkered wings of the Royal Charlie, check- 

 wing, mottled brown and red-brown drakes. For the light 

 and blue drakes (and the bloa shades of the plain wings of 

 some others) they took from the starling, snipe, etc. ; and 

 for the dark drake ( watch et) from the waterhen. For the 

 dark shades of wings of some others from the swift, black- 

 bird, etc. For the wings of the freckled duns they took 

 the freckled feather of the moorcock, where they found for 

 others of the dark stickbait tribes, and for the tawny and 

 light wings of the codbait tribe, the light, grannam, sanded, 

 plover dun, etc., they took from the brown owl, landrail, 

 dotterel, plover, etc. These feathers have been chosen by 

 the anglers of yore to imitate the wings of these aquatic 

 chiefs of the small-fly list, which are the principal flies they 

 imitated. These feathers still hold good, their popularity 

 seems to have outlived the flies. They are all fished by 

 the craft, not at haphazard through the day, but on the 

 days and at the hours when they, or such of them as shew 

 themselves on the waters to the fish. If better matches are 

 known or can be found in other birds, adopt them, for the 

 flyfisher must look round for himself and scrutinise every 

 fly, or he may often be deceived. All is, when his flies are 

 like those the fish are taking, he will have the best chance 

 of a kill. The feathers on the outsides of the dotterel 

 wings, with light edges, assimulate naturally with the ends 

 of the closed wings of several species of browns and duns, 

 as they shew at the end of the body. The wings of many 

 of the flies are thick and veiny at the shoulders, and the trans- 

 parent shade lighter at the ends ; and the breast and shoul- 

 der in general shew a shade or two darker than the body. 

 Suitable grounds with marks, mottles, etc., are oft to be 



