470 



AMERICAN FISHES. 



The foregoing lists are ample for all trouting purposes. Ronald's 

 patterns are given with the addition of the number of hook ; and, I 

 may add, these are full two sizes larger than English fishermen gen- 

 erally use ; the dozen last enumerated may vary in size from Xo. 6 to 

 No. 10, but of this more anon. 



We now come to the Sea-Trout Flies from Nos. 1 to 4 we may set 

 down as the regular size for America, Xos. 2 to 6 bsing those in use 

 in Ireland, where they most abound. They are made much more 

 gaudy than trout-flies, and yet not so expensively as salmon-flies ; 

 bodies all floss silk : 



Body. Tail. Tinsel Tag. Hackle. Wings. Head. 



Pa.e blue, j G <^ # > Silver, Black ostrieh, Black, Starling, j ^ 



Yellow, " Gold, Blue peacock, " " None. 



Red orange, Blue parrot. Gold, Red, " 



Orange, Guinea-fowl, " None. Black, \ Mixed j. 



( brown, j 



These below have fur or pigs'-wool bodies. 



Claret and j Brown ) <,., Oranw ilir rinrpt i Browu I Black 



Brown r \ mallard, f ^ er ' ' dn = e Sllk ' Claret ' \ mallard, f ostrieh. 



Yellow and } 



Pale green I " " " " 



mixed, ) 



The above are half-a-dozen of the very best flies used at the Bally- 

 nahinch river, in Ireland the best river in the world for sea-trout. I 

 have given them here, confident that they will not disgrace the country 

 where they were bred and born. I have only to observe further, that 

 of all fish in the world they are least particular, rising equally well to 

 salmon or trout flies. 



Before describing salmon-flies, it will be necessary to explain what 

 is meant by mixed wings, and how they are made ; also, what is meant 

 by a tag. A mixed wing, as its name implies, is one composed of vari- 

 ous feathers, and also of various hues at one time greenish, at an- 

 other blue, at another red, &c. ; but still the basis and the method of 

 constructing it are the same. 



Before commencing to tie your flies,it is better to assort the feathers for 

 the wing. You take a quantity of brown mallard fibres, cut close to the 

 hen, teal, drake, or widgeon, golden pheasant's neck, guinea-fowl, par- 



