CHARACTERISTICS OF A SALMON FLY. 29 



list " by aid of a certain fly, and to-day by reference to my diary, I 

 recognise an absolute repetition of the conditions which prevailed on the 

 "red letter day." The state of things at bankside seems to have gone 

 back just twelve months. And the fish? they are there too; and yet 

 our fly, of the same size exactly, displays his harmonious contrasts in 

 vain. Up with him! Take him in hand "What's the matter, eh?" 

 Looking in our box, there buried at the very bottom actually lies the 

 hero tooth ragged, but not by tooth of time the very conqueror of that 

 memorial day. Laid beside the undefaced imposter he reveals just one 

 point of discrepancy. " Can it be that ? " the body of the hero 

 bedecked with blue characteristics, the body of the failure with red ! 

 Three minutes will confirm the truth of our suspicion . . . the scarred 

 veteran once more buries his barb deep in the jaws of a sixteen pounder. 



We put on the right colour, and colour has done it. And where is 

 the surprise ? 



As a matter of course the dye-pot is often employed to bring Nature 

 up to the requirements of certain pools. 



In dressing his patterns, then, it is manifestly most important that 

 the student should secure by some means, precision in colour, let alone 

 combination of colour. That colour in a fly should be good and true is a 

 statement few will be likely to challenge. The student can best secure 

 this in daylight by means of contrast. Those, however, whose sense 

 of colour is weak must rely on the eye of a friend or on the opinion of a 

 responsible dealer. 



That all dyed colours should be fast, and otherwise free from fault, is 

 evidently needful ; but a certain slow and limited fading " toning 

 down," we might call it at its best comes inevitably with the lapse of 

 time. Nor is it altogether unwelcome, for, when there is no sun to 

 spoil our complexions, fish frequently reject a new fly for a somewhat 

 faded specimen of the identical pattern. 



Natural feathers, besides those dipped in dye, are subject to this 

 toning down. Some suffer more than others, whilst the Golden Bird of 

 Paradise and the leading tail-feathers of an old, healthy Macaw enjoy 

 immunity from the ravages of time and dirty water. 



At the prominent parts of the ordinary (general standard) fly where 



