210 THE SCIENTIFIC AKGLEE. 



ping the waters, unless the day be windy, wet or cloudy; 

 in these circumstances a cast of "artificials," corres- 

 ponding with the "naturals" then upon the water, will 

 be found to take. In the event of the weather being 

 hot and oppressive, use the Eed Palmer Caterpillar, of 

 which more anon. At sunset small flies may again be 

 resorted to. The evening rise after a seasonable day at 

 this period is a sight worth seeing upon any well stocked 

 water. During and after twilight the Caterpillar, Dun 

 Cut, Moths, Coachman, and any of the large trout flies 

 contained in the fly-book, will be found most deadly. In 

 concluding, we may state that, provided with suitable 

 tackle, the fault lies with the rodster if no sport is ob- 

 tained. 



In the middle of the day, during the whole of this 

 month, small blacks are frequently numerous; both trout 

 and grayling feed upon them when on in sufficient 

 strength. These tribes of blacks are almost invisible in 

 most lights, and especially so when on the water. "When- 

 ever the fish are rising at these minute specks of life, it 

 is almost vain to present anything else to their notice. 

 The tantalizing effect of this insect upon the temper of 

 the fisherman has caused it to be stigmatized as the "an- 

 gler's plague;" the pests themselves being little larger 

 than a grain of mustard seed, closely resembling the 

 appearance of a minute ball of soot, the wings so filmy 

 as to be almost indistinguishable to the naked eye. This 

 is the black gnat of the naturalist; the gnat of the fish- 

 erman is a much larger insect. The term gnat is usually 

 associated with the troublesome insect whose habitual 

 tendency would appear to be to plague and annoy the 

 human race. The fly-dresser's gnat is usually of quite a 

 different species, being of wondrously increased dimen- 

 sions, more often resembling the common house-fly rather 

 than the gnat. The fisherman's Black Gnat proper, is a 

 fly a little less than the Iron Blue, and should never be 



