FLIES AND FLY FISHING. 73 



the artificials made exactly to represent a fish, for trout 

 fishing, although, with the larger sizes, I have killed 

 pikeffairly. 



The advantages of the artificial are 



Istly You have not to change your minnows. 

 2ndly The artificial spins far better than the 

 natural, and has a far more enticing, and even 

 more natural appearance in the water. 

 3rclly You are saved all the trouble of procuring 

 baits, which cannot always be done at the time 

 you intend fishing. 



Added to these advantages, my experience has taught 

 me, that at every time and in every water that the fish 

 will take the natural bait, they will also run at the arti- 

 ficial ; whilst, on the other hand, you can often kill with 

 the artificial, when they would not look at the natural. 

 There is one objection nearly always urged against the 

 use of the artificial, viz., that if a fish seizes the bait 

 and is missed, he will not come again. I think this 

 objection holds good in the case of pike, or large trout, in 

 lakes, &c. ; but trout of from half to two pounds weight, 

 in small running streams, do not often return to the 

 attack after missing their prey, or, when they do so, it is 

 so quickly after the first rush that they have not time to 

 arrive at the conclusion that they had bitten at metal 



