FLIES, BAITS, AND GENERAL INFORMATION FOR 

 THE YEAR. 



JANUARY. There is little or no fly fishing this month, 

 and unless the angler has saved gentles, the roach fisher will need to 

 employ the red worm, found in rotten leaves and dung, or paste 

 plain bread-paste is the best He will need minnows too, for perch 

 fishing; these, if he have not secured a stock, he must look for in 

 the quiet retired holes and corners of small tributary brooks, 

 where they may be easily caught with a fine lift or lave net. A 

 good big dace will be found preferable to gudgeon in spinning for 

 jack, as the water is seldom very clear; if live baiting, which is 

 the best method at this time of the year, a large roach is to be pre- 

 ferred, as the jack are hungry. 



FEBRUARY. Salmon now rise freely at the fly, but as the 

 waters are generally high and thick, large gaudy flies are preferable. 

 With regard to the other fish, what we have said of last month 

 applies to this. 



MARCH. Salmon flies may be used a size smaller. Trout 

 now begin to rise at the fly, and the March brown and blue dun 

 shew on the water. A good general fly, is the hare's ear and yel- 

 low, which somewhat resembles the blue dun ; the red spinners, 

 large and small, and towards the end of the month, or on warm 

 windy days, the cow-dung fly. The Palmer's, particularly the red, 

 will kill all the year through, but best, under trees, in the summer 

 months. 



APRIL. The peacock fly, the spider fly, the sand fly, the gran- 

 nom, and various of the duns, the yellow, of two or three shades, 

 according to the day ; more yellow, if warm ; more buff intermixed 

 with blue, if cold; the dark-iron-blue, which towards the end of 

 the month comes on very thickly on some streams, and the haw- 

 thorn, a useful fly, with those of last month, make up the list for 

 April. In the Thames, a small dace or gudgeon ; elsewhere the 

 minnow may now be spun successfully for trout; just as the water 

 begins to clear after a rain, is the best time for working a minnow 

 in small rivers ; the worm too, may be used, but should be used 

 when the water is rising, just previous to a flood, or the fish get 

 glutted. In fine bright weather, the crab, or larva of the stone fly, 



