SKY-BLUE AND FERN-FLY. 127 



low and clear, and the weather propitious breezy, 

 warm, with alternate cloud and sunshine. Let it 

 be dressed carefully on a small hook with fine gut, 

 and it will kill when larger flies are of no use. It 

 is made thus: body, pale ginger mohair mixed 

 with light blue fur ; wings, from a feather of the 

 sea-swallow ; legs, a pale yellow hackle ; tail, a 

 couple of strands of the hackle. Hook, No. 1 1 

 and 12. 



Fern-fly. This is an admirable May and 

 summer fly. It is very showy, and will answer 

 best on gloomy, sultry days. Towards evening I 

 have been in my time very successful with it, 

 particularly close under the banks. I shall direct 

 it to be dressed two or three different ways, and 

 then it will answer for two or three different flies 

 with which it is confounded. The proper sized 

 hook is No. 10., and when the water is very 

 low, a size smaller. The body is to be made of 

 deep brilliant-coloured orange silk, whipped spar- 

 ingly with thin gold twist ; wings, lying rather 

 flat, to be made of the light, mottled fibres of a 

 young partridge's wing-feather ; legs, a turn or 

 two of a small, fiery red hackle. I think that is 

 the best way of dressing the fly. Mr. Ronalds 

 dresses it without gold twist, and with wings from 

 the darkest fibres of a starling's wing-feather. 

 The lightest fibres would answer best. Others 

 dress the fly buzz by winding over the body a 



