CHAP. V. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 99 



mallard's feather for the wings. 1 And you are to know, 

 that these two are most excellent flies, that is, the May- 

 fly and the Oak-fly. 



And let me again tell you, that you keep as far from 

 the water as you can possibly, whether you fish with a fly 

 or worm ; and fish down the stream. And when you fish 

 with a fly, if it be possible, let no part of your line touch 

 the water, 2 but your fly only; and be still moving your fly 

 upon the water, or casting it into the water, you yourself 

 being also always moving down the stream. 



Mr. Barker commends several sorts of the palmer-flies ; 

 not only those ribbed with silver and gold, but others 

 that have their bodies all made of black ; or some with 

 red, and a red hackle. You may also make the HAW- 

 THORN-FLY : which is all black, and not big but very 

 small, the smaller the better. Or the oak-fly,* s ec the P rd- 

 the body of which is orange colour and black cedill P a - 

 crewel, with a brown wing. Or a fly made with a pea- 

 cock's feather is excellent in a bright day: 3 you must be 

 sure you want not in your magazine-bag the peacock's 



(I) Some dub the Oak-fly, with black wool, and Isabella-coloured mohair, and 

 bright brownish bear's hair, warped on with yellow silk, but the head of an ash- 

 ct 'our ; others dab it with an orange, tawny, and black ground ; others with 

 blackish wool and gold-twist ; the wings of the brown of a mallard's feather. 

 Bowlker, in his Art of Angling, p. 63, says, " The body may be made of it bit- 

 tern's feather, and the wings of the feather of a woodcock's wing." 



(?) This is impossible, unless you dib with the artificial as with the natural 

 fly, which is never practised. The method of throwing or casting is more par- 

 ticularly treated of, in the notes on Chap. V. Part II. 



(3) A brother of the angle must always be sped 

 With three black palmers, and alto two red ; 

 And all made with hackles. In a cloudy day, 

 Or in windy weather, angle you may: 



But morning and evening, if the day be bright : 

 And the chief point of all is to keep out of sight. 

 " In the month of May, none but the May-fly, 

 " For every month, one" is a pitiful lye. 



The black Hawthorn-fly must be very small; 



And the sandy hog's hair is, sure, best of all 



(For the mallard-wing May-fly, and peacock's train, 



Will look like the flesh-fly,) to kill Trout amain. 



H2 



