222 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART n. 



7. About the twentieth of this month comes in a fly called 

 HORSE-FLESH-FLY ; the dubbing of which is a blue mohair, 

 with pink- coloured and red tammy mixed, a light coloured wing, 

 and a dark brown head. This fly is taken best in an evening, 

 and kills from two hours before sunset till twilight, and is taken 

 the month through. 



MAY. 



And now, sir, that we are entering into the month of May, I 

 think it requisite to beg not only your attention, but also your 

 best patience ; for I must now be a little tedious with you, and 

 dwell upon this month longer than ordinary; which, that you 

 may the better endure, I must tell you, this month deserves and 

 requires to be insisted on ; forasmuch as it alone, and the next 

 following, afford more pleasure to the fly-angler than all the rest : 

 and here it is, that you are to expect an account of the green- 

 drake, and stone-fly, promised you so long ago, and some others 

 that are peculiar to this month, and part of the month following ; 

 and that, though not so great either in bulk or name, do yet 

 stand in competition with the two before-named ; and so, that it 

 is yet undecided amongst the anglers, to which of the pre- 

 tenders to the title of the MAY-FLY it does properly and duly 

 belong ; neither dare I, where so many of the learned in this art 

 of angling are got in dispute about the controversy, take upon 

 me to determine ; but I think I ought to have a vote amongst 

 them, and according to that privilege, shall give you my free 

 opinion ; and peradventure when I have told you all, you may 

 incline to think me in the right, 



ViAT. I have so great a deference to your judgment in these 

 matters, that I must always be of your opinion ; and the more 

 you speak, the faster I grow to my attention, for I can never be 

 weary of hearing you upon this subject. 



PiSC. Why that's encouragement enough ; and now prepare 

 yourself for a tedious lecture; but I will first begin with the flies 

 of less esteem, though almost anything will take a trout in May, 

 that I may afterwards insist the longer upon those of greater 



