44 ON NATURAL FLY-FISHING. 



attract them in crowds, when you may knock them down 

 with a hazel bough with the leaves stripped off. Put 

 them in your box till wanted. I consider this fly the 

 best for all rivers. It may be used in a variety of ways, 

 and in all with advantage to the angler. When you dib 

 with it use one on the hook ; put the hook through the 

 thick part of its body near the back, so that when you 

 drop it on the water, it may alight with its legs down- 

 wards, and if the fish be rising you are sure to hook one, 

 and ten to one but that it will be a good one. It is a 

 large fly, and some call it the blue-bottle. The body is 

 of a fine blue or lead-colour, ribbed with fine black 

 stripes ; the wings are a very dark dun, and lie on the 

 back like the house flies. Some of them have a dirty 

 grey or ash-coloured body, and are rather smaller 

 than the others, and generally kill better : you may use 

 one or two on the hook at once, bated as in middle fish- 

 ing. I have killed with it made artificially, but the 

 natural ones are the best for dibbing with. 



There is another way of fishing with them which I 

 call " middle fishing," which is second to none. I use 

 two on the hook at once. Put in the hook at the head of 

 one and out at the tail ; drawn up till it lies straight on 

 the hook ; then take the other and put the hook in at the 

 tail and bring it up to the tail of the other, and i fit is a 

 coloured water, put a number four shot about ten inches 

 from the hook : but if the water is clear, you must use 

 them without shot, and your line must be longer. When 

 you fish in coloured water your line must be about as 

 long as your rod, and you must cast it across the stream 



