THE FLY FISHER'S GUIDE. 53 



reaching his hand ; so that he may without diffi- 

 culty extract the hook, and lodge the fish safely 

 in his pannier, before the temporary stupefaction 

 is removed. 



In fishing in the evening, it will occasionally 

 happen that bats and swallows, mistaking the 

 artificial for the natural fly, will hook themselves, 

 instances of both having occurred to the author 

 more than once ; and the celebrated angler of the 

 Dee, John Edwards, has assured him that, on 

 one occasion, whilst fishing rather late, with one 

 of the moths, he hooked an owl, which, after a 

 long struggle, he succeeded in securing ! 



