62 AN ORTHODOX AUTHORITY. 



the fly-fisher's art would be a bungle from begin- 

 ning to end, and he should call it a comedy of 

 errors, rather than a science. Of the March-brown, 

 Mr. Bainbridge, in his "Fly-fisher's Guide," 

 and Christopher North pronounces that gentleman 

 to have been one of the most accomplished anglers 

 that ever crossed the Tweed, says, " This very 

 excellent fly very generally appears about the 

 middle of March, and is strongly recommended 

 as a good killer from eleven until three o'clock. 

 Large quantities of these beautiful insects sail 

 down the streams in succession, and invite the 

 trout to action. Their wings are upright on the 

 body, and whilst they are on the water, it is 

 almost in vain to attempt the use of any other 

 fly. Therefore, as they vary in the shade of their 

 body, it is advised to use three of this form, but 

 of different sizes and colours, at the same time, 

 which will insure success to the angler." Mr. 

 Bainbridge is an orthodox authority acknowledged 

 by every practical angler. He is perfectly right 

 in advising the use of differently coloured March- 

 browns, because the hue of the male differs from 

 that of the female. 



Why are duns in general use ? Because they 

 are imitations of the ephemera family, the most 

 common and most killing water insects. It is 

 not because they are nondescripts ; and he who 

 has the best dun hackles of various hues, dressed 





