288 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



wing, and a dark brown head. This fly is taken best in an 

 evening, and kills from two hours before sunset till twilight, 

 and is taken the month through. 



[The above is not a bad list of flies for April the best month in the 

 year for fly-fishing I mean for catching the largest number of trout, 

 but by no means the largest in size, and still less the highest in condition. 

 Trout, in English rivers, are not in full season until after they have fed 

 and fattened on the Mayfly say from the 15th of June to the 15th of 

 August. 



The list of flies I have written for March will kill in April. Add to 

 them the following more appropriate ones : 



No. 1. THE OAK-FLY. Wings, to lie flat, of the wing-feather of a 

 young partridge or hen pheasant ; body, yellow mohair, ribbed with dark 

 brown silk ; legs, a honey-dun hackle, lapped round thrice at the shoulder; 

 tip, pale gold twist. Hooks, 9 and 10. This is a favourite fly of mine. 

 In April I never fish without trying it. 



No. 2. THE STONE-FLY. Wings, hen pheasant's tail-feather, dressed 

 long and flat and full ; body, large, and long, of a mixture of light 

 hare's-ear fur and yellow-brown mohair, ribbed with yellow silk ; legs, a 

 brown-red hackle ; and tail, two fibres of brown mallard. Hooks, 6, 7, 

 and 8. The fur near the tail should have more yellow in it than the 

 middle or upper part of the body. A good spring-fly in small, deep, 

 thickly wooded streams. Its reputation is greater than it deserves. 



No. 3. CARSHALTON COCK-TAIL. Wings, light fibres, standing erect, 

 of the hen starling's wing-feather ; body, light blue dun fur, taper and 

 thin., and ribbed with yellow silk ; legs, three laps of a small, pale dun- 

 hackle; tail, two fibres of the same. Hooks, 11 and 12. A capital 

 general fly at low water. 



No. 4. ALDEE-FLY. Wings, flat and two sets ; lower starling's wing- 

 feather ; upper, either landrail's wing, partridge red tail-feather, or hen 

 pheasant's ditto ; body, either bronze coloured floss silk, or bronze peacock 

 harl, to be dressed full and tapering ; legs, black hackle ; tail, two fibres 

 of the same. Hooks, 9 and 10. 



No. 5. SAXD-FLY. Wings, sandy -coloured landrail's wing-feather ; 

 body, a mixture of brown fur from the hare's poll and orange mohair ; 

 ginger hackle for legs. Hooks, 8, 9, 10. 



No. 6. Wings, light grey mottled mallard feather; body, blue mole's 

 fur, over which, at shoulder, blood-red hackle ; tail, two fibres of the 

 mallard feather. Hooks 9 and 10. This is a very good fly, and will 

 also kill well with a brown-red mohair body. 



The artificial baits, called palmers, are imitations of caterpillars" of 

 various sizes and colours. They answer best in deep and somewhat 

 sluggish streams, with banks densely wooded. I have but a poor opinion 

 of them in rapid, clear streams, particularly mountainous ones. The 

 following are the best : 



BLACK PALMER. Body, black ostrich harl, ribbed with gold twist and 

 black cock's long fibred hackle. Hooks, from 4 to 8. 



BEOWN PALMER. Body, amber-brown mohair, ribbed with gold and 



