42 ON NATURAL FLY-FISHING. 



for this purpose should be rather stiff, with rings and a 

 whinch fixed upon it, so that when you have hooked a 

 good fish, you can give him as much line as you think 

 proper, and you can lengthen or shorten it as occasion 

 may require. When you see a fish, rise guide your fly 

 over it immediately, and he is sure to come if it 

 be right. When you dib for chub, roach, or dace, move 

 your fly very slow when you see them make towards it. 

 Roach take flies the best a little under water. The best 

 flies for the anglers use in this method of angling are as 

 follows : 



1. THE WOODCOCK CANNON, OR DOWNHILL FLY. 



Found on the bodies of oak or ash trees, with its head down- 

 wards, from which it takes the name of downhill fly or 

 down looker. It is something in the form of a horse fly, 

 but rather longer, and of a brownish colour, the wings 

 being spotted like the feather under the woodcock's 

 wings ; the body is a fine orange colour, interlaced with 

 black spots, the head of a ash-colour; used from the begin- 

 ning of May to the end of June. Be careful not to ruffle 

 the wings. I believe the orange brown and the 

 brown shiner are taken for this fly when made arti- 

 ficially. For this, as well as most of the other flies, use 

 a No. 7 hook. 



2. THE HAWTHORN FLY. 



Found on hawthorn bushes when the leaves come 

 forth. It is a slender black bodied fly, with dark dun 

 wings, and very long legs, which are easily discerned as 



