134 DESCRIPTION OF THE MAY-FLY. 



about the 20th of May, and continues for nearly 

 a month. The wings stand erect upon the 

 back, and vary in the tints of yellow in dif- 

 ferent flies. The body is long, slender and taper 

 near the tail, from the end of which spring the 

 forked whisks, which turning upwards, like some 

 of the drake's tail feathers, towards the back, give 

 the name of green drake to this fly. The body 

 is to be made of hog's down, or light bear's hair 

 intermixed with yellow mohair, or of barber's 

 yellow silk only, warped with pale floss silk, and 

 a small strip of peacock's harl for the head. A 

 bittern's hackle is acknowledged to be the best 

 imitation of the legs and dark stripes of the body, 

 and for the tail the long black hairs of the sable 

 or fitchet are most appropriate." The May- fly 

 is dressed many other ways, but I think the above 

 are as good as any. 



During the season of the May-fly, should the 

 weather be gloomy, with a strong, warm wind, I 

 would angle with three flies of different sizes, 

 and having the wings of colours slightly differing, 

 and one made buzz without erect wings, for doing 

 so would afford me three different chances of 

 success. 



The grey drake is said to be a metamorphosis 

 of the green drake, or female changing to a male. 

 Strange though such a change may appear to us, it 

 may be true, for Nature is ever working wonders. 



