18 LIST OF FLIES. 



belly, and on the edges of each joint ; thighs, a light 

 grizzly hair-like transparency, with a gleam of amber, 

 and darkening to the feet. Wings, faintly veined, 

 longitudinally, and of a dim transparency, of a fine 

 smoky blue tinge. When the fly is held to the light, 

 its tinges and reflections are of a light grizzly blue 

 cast. 



Slips, for wings, are generally selected from those of 

 the starling ; body, orange silk, tinged and dyed with 

 fox-cub down, and two or three fibres of amber mohair. 



The blue drake hatches the first of the drake tribes 

 commencing last month, if the weather be open ; 

 and it is very probable she continues through the sea- 

 son ; she hatches on fine days, in good numbers, from 

 nine or ten in the morning to three or four in the af- 

 ternoon, and continues a favorite leader through the 

 spring. Like all the drakes, she is most successful 

 when fished in her natal garb, at the time she is 

 hatching ; she is a hardy fly, and will hatch in cold wea- 

 ther, if it be tolerably dry and open ; when there is oft 

 good sport, for the flies are benumbed with the cold, and 

 cannot clear the water, which is their natural propen- 

 sity to do, as soon as they are hatched ; and the fishes 

 avail themselves of it. The blue drake is darkest when 

 first hatched, and soon casts her skin, when she is all- 

 together of a lighter shade and smarter fly she also 

 casts it and becomes the orange drake. 



9iH. ORANGE DRAKE. Dimensions about the 

 same as the blue drake, but more smart and slim in its 

 appearance, and altogether of an orange color ; tinged 

 dusk on the top of the head, shoulders, and down the 



