ON ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 79 



the smallest alarm the air-bubble is expelled and 

 the grub in its case sinks to the bottom. When 

 about to hatch, the grub closes the head-end of the 

 case, and remains in a torpid state for a short 

 time, after which it crawls out of its house to the 

 bank, and emerges a fully-formed fly. This, the 

 modern recognized theory of the life-history of 

 both " Ephemerae " and " Phryganidae " cannot, 

 however, be considered as satisfactorily solved 

 until further scientific investigation of the subject 

 has been carried out, seeing that the experience of 

 practical fishermen goes to throw doubt on many 

 minor points. 



It may be considered by many readers that the 

 number of artificial flies illustrated in this work is 

 excessive, and beyond the requirements of any 

 ordinary fly-fisher. All the varieties described are 

 certainly not absolutely necessary, but it has been, 

 as far as possible, my aim to include all the pat- 

 terns which I have, by practical experience, found 

 killing ones on the Test and other chalk streams. 

 In all cases the fullest information as to the suc- 

 cessive processes of making these flies, as well as 

 the materials to be used, and the various methods 

 of preparing and dyeing these materials, is given, 

 either in the chapter specially devoted to that sub- 

 ject, or, where necessary, in a paragraph imme- 

 diately following the description of the fly itself. 



Every angler who wishes to achieve success 

 takes a continual and daily increasing interest in 



