34 TROUT FISHING 



in sufficient numbers. We want, then, that 

 which will be as attractive and enticing as the 

 natural fly, and be more convenient to the fisher- 

 man. Next would suggest itself fern webs, and 

 some beetles, and in them many objections are 

 done away with, and certainly a most excellent 

 bait is before us, but these cannot be obtained at 

 all times, and the trout will only take them at 

 particular seasons. But as we intend to remark 

 specially on each particular bait, we now pro- 

 ceed with the flies, and finding inconvenience 

 in the natural delicacy of the living fly, call art 

 to our assistance, and imitate the insect we should 

 otherwise use, imitate with precision when we 

 wish and are obliged to rely solely on our de- 

 ceptive power, as in slow water, or deep and still 

 streams ; but where we wish rather to take 

 advantage of the natural infirmity of the trout 

 their voracity and are able to do so without 

 exposing too much our deception, as in rapid 

 streams, we so far imitate nature in general 

 appearance and colour, as to lead the trout to 

 imagine an insect, or at least something eatable 

 is before him, but rely more upon our bait as an 

 attraction, than an actual deception of a par- 

 ticular fly, and its manner of employment, as an 

 excitement to the fish, which from his habits we 

 judge he cannot resist. And taking still water, 

 and shallow rapid streams or cascades, as two 

 extremes, we would say with regard to artificial 

 flies, that in still water we should rely upon the 

 deceptive power of the fly, and judge of the 



