TO FLYFISHERS. Vll. 



contracted streams bring few flies to the fish, when 

 they lie still in their retreats. Vast swarms of midges, 

 gnats, and small flies, appear with the swift in May, 

 and depart with him in August, when they sport and 

 play in the sunshine over clear and smooth water. 

 Imitations cannot work. In such cases little good can 

 be done until after sunset, when the drakes and duns 

 appear, and rouse the fish to feed ; with them and the 

 moths the sport may be continued during twilight. 

 The foregoing checks on the summer sport, with the 

 small fly, may be counterchecked by colored waters, by 

 temperate breezy days, which emboldens the fish and 

 aids the guile sweeps tiny worthless flies off the wa- 

 ter, and keeps the better on by accurate imitations of 

 the leading favorites dressed on fine strong hair, of 

 neutral tint, floated naturally at length without scaring 

 the fish. Fine small hackles may be serviceable. The 

 best times of the day during the warm months, is in 

 the forenoon, from three to six in the afternoon, and 

 after sunset. The autumn sport for grayling and smelt 

 is very good, but trout, the champion of the lists, is 

 hors de combat. Smelting in the Ure with the small 

 fly and maggot, gives abundant sport from August to 

 the end of the season. The beginning of May brings 

 the stone fly, and a fortnight or three weeks after, the 

 green drake. These, the two master flies, usher up 

 in great numbers, and spread in abundance their annual 

 feast for the fishes, when the trout revels for a while 

 in the rage of gluttonous luxury ; and when fatted to 

 his prime, he becomes more nice and wary in selecting 

 his food. The bustard appears about the middle of 

 June, but, being a land fly, comes casually on the wa- 



