ON RAPID STREAMS. 201 



in favour of the hackle fly if tied with really good 

 hackles. I have no doubt that if my fancy flies 

 be compared with the imitations of the natural 

 insect, the fisherman will detect some more or 

 less near resemblance to them ; by so doing, per- 

 haps his fancy may be pleased, and his confidence 

 in them thereby more strongly engrafted. Whether 

 or not the trout find out any such similitude, I 

 really do not know ; but of this I am positive, 

 that they will take in the rapids of North Devon, 

 my bright hackled fancy flies better than the 

 best imitations of the natural fly I have ever tried, 

 and I have repeatedly made the experiment with 

 the very best Town-made flies. It is well to have 

 the flies tied of different sizes. On a bright day, 

 in down- stream fishing, in quiet water, the fly 

 cannot be too small, so that it can hook a fish, 

 nor the gut too fine, so that it will hold one when 

 hooked ; but in up-stream fishing, in bright 

 weather, you want a large conspicuous fly. Also, 

 in rough windy weather, or when there is a little 

 colour in the water, the larger sizes are prefer- 

 able, particularly on the larger streams. As a 

 general rule, the flies used in the North of Devon 

 are considerably larger than those employed in 

 other counties. The fisherman must judge for 

 himself as to the size required. I affix, as a 

 guide in his choice, the sizes I have been in the 

 habit of using. On some of our streams, small 

 flies are advantageous ; I have therefore in the 

 " list " entered the number of hook for each fly, 

 chough in point of fact, it is the peculiarity of 



