200 TEOUT FISHING 



and the more educated fisherman be not too long 

 delayed over simples, nor too much wearied by 

 lengthened details, often so nearly allied to each 

 other, as to appear almost repetitions of former 

 descriptions. 



As it is possible that this book may fall into 

 the hands of a stranger to the North of Devon, 

 who may be desirous of enjoying a few days' fish- 

 ing in our rivers, and who may have by him a 

 well-stocked book of flies, and yet be doubtful 

 which to select for employment, or who may wish 

 to purchase flies from local makers, and be uncer- 

 tain which to buy, I now append a list of the flies 

 which the local residents chiefly use, or rather I 

 should have said, a list of flies, which I have my- 

 self chiefly relied on, selected from the collections 

 of flies used by the Fishers of North Devon. 

 From this list I have omitted many very excel- 

 lent flies, which many good fishermen use on 

 North Devon streams, and have altogether passed 

 over the ordinary shop flies, which are made as 

 correct imitations of the natural insect, such as 

 the varieties of blue duns, quilled blues, the whirl- 

 ing dun, half-stone fly, brown flies, black gnat, 

 iron blues, drakes, &c., &c. with respect to which 

 I have only to say that the list is far more com- 

 prehensive than the collection I trouble myself 

 to tie for my own use ; and as regards the flies 

 made to imitate the natural fly, if the fisherman 

 has them by him he may use them with much 

 success at their appropriate seasons. My expe- 

 rience, as hereinbefore stated, inclines me strongly 



