PRACTICAL FLY FISHING 



Like other ephemerae, it is an afternoon or 

 evening fly. Various as are the names by 

 which it is known amongst anglers, the ways of 

 imitating it are far more so. It is winged or 

 hackled, in different parts of the country, in 

 many different ways. In Scotland, the under- 

 wing of the Moorpoult, the wing of the Sparrow, 

 the Skylark, and the Bunting, are used : for the 

 North of England, the Snipe, the Dotterel, and 

 the Golden Plover are preferred : in the Peak 

 of Derbyshire, cock's and hen's hackles are 

 much employed : in the South of England they 

 use the wing of the Starling ; a feather from the 

 bastard-wing of the wild Mallard is sometimes 

 made use of. Having tried these and several 

 others, without the success which an imitation 

 of such a well-known fly ought to command, 

 my next attempt was with the wing of the young 

 Starling, before it attains the adult plumage. 

 It is a beautifully blended tint of blue, brown, 

 and yellow. 



I tried it in conjunction with a hen's hackle 

 of the same colour (not easily met with), and 

 a mixed body of a primrose and dandelion- 

 coloured silk, and have never made it any other 

 way since. So very often has excellent sport 

 been had with this fly, in England, Scotland, 

 Ireland, and Wales, that it is needless to men- 

 tion any particular locality. It will always be 

 in fashion whilst the world lasts and streams 

 run. The hook for this fly is i, 2, or 3, accord- 

 ing to the water. 



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