220 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART n. 



through his gills, to pull out his gorge, which being opened 

 with your knife, you will then discover what fly is taken, and 

 may fit yourself accordingly. 



For the making of a hackle, or palmer-fly, my father Walton 

 has already given you sufficient direction. 



MARCH. 



For this month you are to use all the same hackles and flies 

 with the other; but you are to make them less. 



1. We have, besides, for this month, a little dun, called a 

 whirling dim (though it is not the whirling dun, indeed, which 

 is one of the best flies we have) ; and for this the dubbing must 

 be of the bottom fur of a squirrel's tail ; and the wing, of the grey 

 feather of a drake. 



2. Also a bright brown ; the dubbing either of the brown of a 

 spaniel, or that of a red cow's flank, with a grey wing. 



3. Also a whitish dun; made of the roots of camel's hair; and 

 the wings, of the grey feather of a mallard. 



4. There is also for this month a fly called the thorn-tree fly ; 

 the dubbing an absolute black, mixed with eight or ten hairs of 

 Isabella-coloured mohair; the body as little as can be made; 

 of a bright mallard's feather. An admirable fly, and in great 

 repute amongst us for a killer. 



5. There is, besides this, another BLUE DUN, the dubbing of 

 which it is made being thus to be got. Take a small-tooth 

 comb, and with it comb the neck of a black greyhound, and the 

 down that sticks in the teeth will be the finest blue that ever you 

 saw. The wings of this fly can hardly be too white, and he is 

 taken about the tenth of this month, and lasteth till the four-and- 

 twentieth. 



6. From the tenth of this month also, till towards the end, is 

 taken a little BLACK GNAT ; the dubbing either of the fur of a 

 black water-dog, or the down of a young black water-coot, the 

 wing of the male of a mallard as white as may be, the body as 

 little as you possibly can make it, and the wings as short as his 

 body. 



