160 TROUT FISHING 



had so improved, that whereas at first I could do 

 very little with them, and less than I could have 

 done with fine flies and fine tackle, subsequently 

 when I discovered how to use them, they equalled 

 the maggot and immensely surpassed the finest 

 and best tied flies, the most natural imitations of 

 the insect on the water that could be obtained. 



The maggot, however, is not to be wholly de- 

 spised it has its utility, and does add, under cer- 

 tain circumstances, to the exciting power of the fly. 

 These circumstances depend on the particular kind 

 of water principally. If the water be sufficiently 

 rapid for the artificial fly, I do not think the mag- 

 got improves the fly; but if the water be such, 

 that in regarding it you would say What inviting 

 spots these would be if there were only a little 

 more body of water to improve their richness ! 

 such, that feeding places are abundant and good 

 for the trout, but the water scarce deep enough, 

 or rapid enough to render the fly certain of killing, 

 in such water, probably you will find that the 

 difficulties you have to overcome with the fly are so 

 great, that the numbers taken (and especially the 

 size of your fish) do not come up to what your 

 ideas will tell you the river is capable of affording. 

 In such places the maggot is an excellent appen- 

 dage to the fly not altering the character of the 

 fly in the manner of its usage, but adding to it a 

 something which before you felt was deficient, 

 making what was insipid and too tame, at once 

 exciting and irresistible to the trout. I hold that 

 it does not alter the style of fishing, because the 



