FLIES AND FLY FISHING. 19 



Even some of the writers who assert the same theory 

 as I have done, do not instruct with the courage of their 

 opinions. The author of a small book on fly fishing called 

 the " Biver's Side," after having asserted strongly that 

 the artificial should exactly imitate the natural fly on the 

 water, and whose maxim is, every fly is good when used 

 at its proper time, commences by recommending for April 

 the February red and alder flies. Now neither of these 

 flies are ever on the water in that month, the former going 

 off some time in March, and the latter not coming on 

 until the middle of May, and also pins his faith on to the 

 bumble and furnace flies, neither of which bear any re- 

 semblance to any known fly ; besides which, he recom- 

 mends six flies only to be used for grayling, only three of 

 which are imitations of actual flies. Now as that fish 

 feed greedily on, at the very least, twenty different kinds 

 of fly, and that they are quite as capricious as trout ; if 

 one followed his advice, what would become of his theory 

 which is really true and should therefore be followed 

 out in practice. 



Of course trout will, now and then, take almost any- 

 thing in the shape of a fly, but it is when they are not 

 feeding on any one particular fly, or on rivers throwing up 

 very little insect life ; but even in this last case, and also 

 in lake fishing, imitations of actual flies will always kill 



far better than fanciful masses of silks and feathers. 



c2 



