ON HACKLES. 115 



give the hackles a life-like appearance in the water, 

 superior to all other artificial baits. When the trout 

 is not engaged he may be lured from his lair by any 

 promiscuous fly or insect coming in his way, that is 

 natural to him, particularly if it shew symptoms of life 

 or motion. The hackles are often taken below the sur- 

 face, where the undulating motion of the water close or 

 expand their springy fibres as the Razor Grinder says, 

 "like a struggling fly" always recurring to their 

 original form, and glistening in the water with their 

 original lustre, as if fresh and dry from their Maker's 

 hands. With a judicious assortment of good cock- 

 hackle feathers ; peacock, ostrich, and other harl ; 

 silks, and gold and silver twist, master imitations 

 may be produced of all the known species of the hairy 

 worms comprising a numerous assortment of brilliant 

 and enticing artificial baits for small flyfishing, never 

 to be parted with until better are discovered. 



Many flyfishers, and particularly the greatest adepts 

 in the art, gradually leave off using the hackles as 

 their knowledge of the aquatic flies increases. Walbran 

 of Mickley, the best flyfisher on the Ure, never fishes 

 them. The celebrated golden hackle, so fascinating 

 and fatal to many a cunning old trout, has lost its 

 charms to Walbran ; and so have most of the land and 

 other flies that come casually on the water, and are but 

 casually taken. It is too slow a process for Walbran. 

 He is at home only in the midst of the bursting swarms 

 of the aquatic flies ; and relies on his imitations of 

 those that are hatching or on the water at the time 

 he is fishing. When he goes out in the morning he 

 tries the aquatic flies of the season and time of day ; 



