FLIES AND FLY FISHING. 145 



found more under the banks and sides of streams than 

 in the open water; after the fly is off they are again 

 scattered. 



There are all sorts of dressings made up for Mayflies, 

 some of them called and intended to be used as floating 

 Mayflies, this, like all attempts at fishing with a dry fly, 

 I hold to be an utter delusion. I always use the imita- 

 tion, dressed buzz, and fish with a sunk fly. 



Of course, when using a natural fly, you must keep it 

 on the surface of the water, but in this case it has life, 

 and if sunk would be presented to the fish as a dead wet 

 fly. Whilst, as I have remarked in another place, the 

 sunk artificial fly has the appearance of a dry floating 

 live fly, for although fish are very acute, yet I hardly 

 fancy that from an upward glance at it they are able to 

 judge whether the fly is exactly on the surface or sunk 

 two or three inches below it. Of one thing I am certain, 

 that the Mayfly, imitated buzz fashion, and fished as an 

 ordinary fly, will always hold its own against any of the 

 so-called floating imitations, and I have always found it 

 beat them hollow on rivers ; but for lakes or ponds I 

 prefer a fly, dressed winged, but still to be sunk, although 

 even on these waters I have done very well with the 

 hackled imitation. 



