Flies and Fly-fishing. 399 



any light, the black could always be seen through a 

 stratum of water which utterly eclipsed the lighter tints ; 

 and this was equally true of the olive-green and dark 

 neutral tint, except that in the twilight they appeared to 

 less disadvantage. 



When the rays of the sun fell perpendicularly upon 

 the water, or nearly so, say from ten to three o'clock, 

 nothing gave a better general result than uncolored gut. 

 True, occasionally it shone like silver, and then nothing 

 could be plainer ; but this did not take place in all po- 

 sitions, and except at such times it had a decided advan- 

 tage over the others, and even at its worst it was at no 

 great disadvantage. 



He who will devise means to destroy the glitter of 

 the surface of gut will deserve the thanks of the angling 

 fraternity. I regret circumstances have prevented me 

 from trying Mr. Fred Mather's method of applying the 

 juice of the milk- weed for this purpose. 



The fact that the sun was obscured did not seem to 

 destroy the advantage of the uncolored gut between the 

 hours mentioned ; but, except with a rain sky, at other 

 times uncolored gut was far inferior to all the others ex- 

 cept the black; indeed it was at times difficult to say 

 which of the two was the most obtrusive, both being visi- 

 ble the entire length of the tank. 



I can attribute the difference in the appearance of un- 

 colored gut to nothing but the direction in which the 

 light falls on the water. When the sun is perpendicular 

 or approximately so, it seems to be at its best; while as 

 the rays fall more and more obliquely on the water, it 

 becomes more and more conspicuous, 



A light coffee color (obtained by infusing the gut in a 

 strong decoction made by boiling red onion-skins in wa- 



