PLY FISHING. 45 



maggot, the caddis worm, or, as it is termed in the 

 neighbourhood of Edinburgh, the wooden man, from its 

 singularly constructed lodgement or bark case, will be 

 found a successful appendage to the fly, during warm 

 evenings in June and July. 



Double-rod fishing has got into practice on some 

 rivers ; it is poachers' work, and ought to be prevented 

 by law. This method of raking the water requires no 

 art, and affords little amusement. A line stretched be- 

 tween a couple of rods, and hung with flies, is taken 

 down the stream by two individuals on its opposite 

 sides, so that every inch of water is gone over, and 

 every feeding trout raised. As by the lath, immense 

 numbers of fish are wounded, as well as taken, getting 

 detached from the hook after a long-continued struggle, 

 .and then pining away for months at the bottom, un- 

 able either to feed or spawn. We hope soon to see 

 an effectual check put upon this manner of depopula- 

 tion. 



Fly fishing in Scotland was wont to commence about 

 the end of March, or early in April, although of late 

 years our spring weather has been so unusually mild as 

 to add even part of February to the angler's calendar. 

 Nay, we have seen, during Christmas, trout rise freely, 

 especially near the mouths of streams. In some rivers, 

 great quantities of kelts, or spawned salmon, are taken 

 in the month of March, on their descent to the sea. 

 We have known of forty or fifty of these useless fish 

 being captured with a single rod in one day, certainly 

 a most unnecessary slaughter. April, May, and June, 

 are undoubtedly the best months in the season for 

 angling with the fly, not that in them you will catch 

 the greatest number of trout, but such as you do catch 

 are generally of a larger size than those taken at a later 

 period. July and August are mostly too hot and dry ; 



