PRACTICAL FLY FISHING 



a Wren's tail, used as a hackle, the long side of 

 the feather being pulled off. The body is 

 formed of orange silk, with a little fur from the 

 cheek of a Squirrel. 



THE BLACK ANT. 



This fly is an inhabitant of woods and cop- 

 pices, and is very abundant in the neighbour- 

 hood of the English lakes. The nest is often 

 of enormous size, sometimes containing more 

 than a cart-load of sticks and small twigs. The 

 Vale of Duddon swarms with Wood Ants, and 

 is the only place in which I have seen the Wry- 

 neck, which is said to feed principally on these 

 insects. Like other Ants, they have the enjoy- 

 ment of wings for a few weeks in each year ; 

 and often, as the proverb says, { to their sorrow,' 

 as by them they are conveyed to places where 

 they suffer greatly from birds, as well as from 

 fishes. They generally make their appearance 

 in August and September. Body/ a strand of 

 Peacock's herl, and one of black Ostrich's herl 

 laid on together ; silk, dark brown ; wing, the 

 lightest part of a Starling's quill ; hackle from 

 a black Cock. 



THE RED ANT. 



This fly is much more generally distributed 

 than the former, and is frequently a very good 

 fly for Trout; and is also much admired by 

 Grayling in the month of September : especially 



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