224 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART IT. 



But first I am to tell you, that we have four several flies 

 which contend for the title of the May-fly ; namely, 



The GREEN-DRAKE. 

 The STONE-FLY. 

 The BLACK- FLY, and 

 The little yellow MAY-FLY. 



And all these have their champions and advocates to dispute 

 and plead their priority; though I do not understand why the 

 two last-named should ; the first two having so manifestly the 

 advantage, both in their beauty, and the wonderful execution 

 they do in their season. 



ii. Of these the GREEN-DRAKE comes in about the twentieth 

 of this month, or betwixt that and the latter end; for they are 

 sometimes sooner, and sometimes later, according to the quality 

 of the year; but never well taken till towards the end of this 

 month, and the beginning of June. The STONE-FLY comes 

 much sooner, so early as the middle of April; but is never well 

 taken till towards the middle of May, and continues to kill much 

 longer than the GREEN-DRAKE stays with us, so long as to 

 the end almost of June ; and indeed, so long as there are any of 

 them to be seen upon the water; and sometimes in an artificial 

 fly, and late at night, or before sunrise in the morning, longer. 



Now both these flies, and I believe many others, though I 

 think not all, are certainly and demonstratively bred in the very 

 rivers where they are taken : our cadis or cod-bait which lie 

 under ones in the bottom of the water, most of them turning 

 into those two flies, and being gathered in the husk, or crust, 

 near the time of their maturity, are very easily known and 

 distinguished, and are, of all other, the most remarkable, both 

 for their size, as being of all other the biggest, the shortest of 

 them being a full inch long or more ; and for the execution they 

 do, the trout and grayling being much more greedy of them 

 than of any others; and indeed the trout never feeds fat, nor 

 comes into his perfect season, till these flies come in. 



Of these the GREEN-DRAKE never discloses from his husk, 

 till he be first there grown to full maturity, body, wings, and 



