184 Wet- Fly Fishing 



such as quill and celluloid; but over and 

 above these things, a fly, when sunk, must 

 present to the trout's vision, a wholly 

 different spectacle, to " the thing of beauty " 

 which generally floats, with gauzy wings 

 over his head. It reminds me of the 

 " swell " of John Leech's period, as he 

 sallied forth to the banqueting-hall, the 

 dandy of dandies ; with not a single pin out 

 of place ; and that same individual when he 

 returns home, all " mops and brooms/ 7 his 

 hair disordered, and his dress sopping wet, 

 from walking home without his umbrella, 

 in a downpour of rain. 



I do not know how to express my con- 

 victions regarding entomological knowledge, 

 in its relation to wet-fly fishing. Let me 

 hasten to acknowledge that I make no 

 claim whatever, to being an entomologist. 

 I am, however, in excellent company, for 

 how few of our best Scottish authorities 

 have united the study of entomology with 

 the practice of wet-fly fishing. In Scotland 

 this is, in a very marked degree, the case, 

 with some notable exceptions ; and as 

 Scotsmen are neither ignorant nor stupid, 

 surely there must be some hidden reason 

 for this. Shall I dig for its solution ? 

 Then, here goes 1 I think it is threefold. 



