188 THE SCIENTIFIC ANGLER. 



On cold windy days, or in a sharp wind succeeding a few 

 'hours of bright open weather, when the inclement season 

 has terminated, these flies are carried by the wind upon 

 the water, the surface of which being thus quickly be- 

 sprinkled with struggling atoms of life, the attention of 

 the hunger-bitten trout is speedily arrested, and under 

 these circumstances they seldom fail to shake off their 

 lethargy to feed freely upon them. It is the best fly that 

 can be used early and late in the day through the whole 

 of this month, and occasionally in April. 



The March Brown is a general favorite with both fish 

 and fishermen throughout Britain. In Wales it is termed 

 the Cob fly. In the northern counties of England it is 

 known as the brown or dun drake ; but, though in differ- 

 ent localities the name varies, the insect itself is charac- 

 teristically the same everywhere. The wings are nearly 

 erect, after the manner of all the duns, the color being a 

 beautiful freckled brown, and the legs the same shade. 

 The body varies, but is generally a decided rusty hue, 

 with yellow ribs protruding, and it resembles the green 

 drake or May fly more closely than any other species. It 

 is two-thirds the size, and goes through similar changes. 

 As the weather gets a little warmer these flies appear a 

 shade smaller in size, and lighter in color. This is called 

 the Turkey Brown, though exactly the same ephemeral. 

 It is often erroneously supposed to be the female March 

 Brown. This large brown, with its metamorphosis, the 

 Great Red Spinner, lasts until May, and even June, and 

 appears again in August, but smaller still in size. In the 

 Scotch Highlands it is used as a general fly throughout 

 the summer, and is a capital killer. Many a weighty 

 pannier have we had the pleasure of creeling through its 

 agency, for when once really well on the water, which it 

 annually is on most streams, better sport is not afforded 

 by any fly. The Great Red Spinner referred to is an 

 elegant fly, and is sometimes a good killer, but as in this 



