Till. TO FLYF1SHFRS. 



ter, and is well taken. These three are the most substan- 

 tial insect food of the trout, and feed him from two to 

 three months, in the prime and centre of the season to 

 his best perfection. They are generally fished natural. 

 The spinner, oak fly, blue bottle, house fly, etc., may 

 be dibbed natural in suitable places, in droughts and 

 summer calms, when artificials are useless. Each of 

 the classes may claim the attention of the flyfisher ; 

 but the three aquatic tribes, the browns, drakes, and 

 duns, are his daily storehouse. The descriptions of 

 some of the creepers of these classes shews the origin 

 of the flies, and the close connexion betwixt them and 

 the fishes. They are cradled and bred together in the 

 same element, and both are formed by nature for life 

 and enjoyment ; but many of the flies are destined by 

 the same power to become the prey and food of the 

 fish ; as are often seen when the green drake and others 

 are hatching, how eagerly the fishes devour them. This 

 circumstance, it may be supposed, is the origin of arti- 

 ficial flyfishing, and in the olden time first gave hints* 

 to the ingenious wights on the banks of the streams, 

 who selected their few favorite flies from this water-bred 

 stock. The choice of the flies and the materials for 

 their imitation, which have been handed from angler ta 

 angler, experience has sanctioned to the present day, 

 which shews the attention paid originally to the natu- 

 ral flies. 



The expert flyfisher, who has drawn his skill from 

 natural sources (and who rarely fails to reap the reward 

 of his prowess) needs not the assistance of this book ; 

 although it is probable he may meet with some new 

 matter in it. He may in his locality have proved other 



