218 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART n. 



upon my knowledge these flies in a warm sun, for an hour or 

 two in the day, are certainly taken. 



JANUARY. 



1. A RED BROWN, with wings of the male of a mallard 

 almost white: the dubbing of the tail of a black long-coated 

 cur, such as they commonly make muffs of; for the hair on the 

 tail of such a dog dies and turns to a red-brown, but the hair of 

 a smooth-coated dog of the same colour will not do, because it 

 will not die, but retains its natural colour, and this fly is taken 

 in a warm sun, this whole month through. 



2. There is also a very little BRIGHT DUN GNAT, as little as 

 can possibly be made, so little as never to be fished with, with 

 above one hair next the hook; and this is to be made of a 

 mixed dubbing of marten's fur, and the white of a hare's scut, 

 with a very white and small wing; and it is no great matter 

 how fine you fish, for nothing will rise in this month, but a 

 grayling; and of them I never, at this season, saw any taken 

 with a fly, of above a foot long in my life : but of little ones 

 about the bigness of a smelt, in a warm day, and a glowing sun, 

 you may take enough with these two flies, and they are both 

 taken the whole month through. 



FEBRUARY. 



1. Where the red-brown of the last month ends, another 

 almost of the same colour begins, with this saving, that the 

 dubbing of this must be of something a blacker colour, and 

 both of them wrapped on with red silk. The dubbing that 

 should make this fly, and that is the truest colour, is to be got 

 off the black spot off a hog's ear : not that a black spot in any 

 part of the hog will not afford the same colour, but that the hair 

 in that place is, by many degrees, softer, and more fit for the 

 purpose. His wing must be as the other [i. in January]; and 

 this kills all this month, and is called the lesser red-brown. 



2. This month, also, a plain hackle, or palmer-fly, made with 

 a rough black body, either of black spaniel's fur, or the whirl of 



