NOTES ON THE MONTHS FOB FLY-FISHING. 191 



rather backward, the weather retarding the progress of 

 the little insects in proportion to its severity. There are 

 the Yellow Dun of April (two shades), Pale Blue Dun, 

 Red Spinner, Sand fly, Stone fly, and Foster's interme- 

 diate. The Iron Blue Dun comes on in this month, but 

 is much more numerous in the next, for which see de- 

 scription. The Yellow Duns of April (two shades) and 

 the Pale Blue Dun, being April specimens of the Olive 

 Dun (ephemerals) are of great importance; indeed, I 

 look upon this fly in its various stages as being the most 

 useful to the angler through the whole season. This fly, 

 after living three days, casts its coat, and then appears as 

 the Red Spinner. These flies whirl in clouds a distance 

 above the water, frequently alighting on the surface; 

 every time they do so they deposit an egg, which, as we 

 have observed elsewhere, produces duns of the olive fam- 

 ily, ranging in shade from the blue dun to the pale 

 evening white, according to the temperature of the water 

 and weather, when the larva attains its maturity. The 

 Red Spinner is a delicately transparent fly, the legs are 

 fiery brown, the tail double the length of the dun's, the 

 body a ruddy yellow. In consequence of the tails being 

 long, it is necessary to put them on the artificials, though 

 not requisite in the case of the duns. As the fish gener- 

 ally rise at the tail-end of the fly we have found it detri- 

 mental in hooking, especially when rabbit's whiskers are 

 used, as is generally the case. When we do attach the 

 tails, we use three fibres of a large cock's hackle. To- 

 wards evening is the best time to use these flies, as in the 

 heat of the day they take refuge in the foliage of bushes 

 and small trees on the banks of the stream, but at sun- 

 set appear in great numbers. The duns are principally 

 used at mid-day, the light April Dun, and Pale Blue 

 Dun on light genial days, the Dark April Dun on dull 

 cloudy days. It maybe as well to remark that, if the water 

 be clear, with a bright sun, it will be useless to fish on 



