THE CHOICE OF FLIES 



the pickerel on the bait both being landed after 

 considerable stiff and careful work. 



Very few will contest the fact that the silver 

 doctor, both in form and beauty, is the queen of 

 flies. No matter what its size, for bass, trout, or 

 salmon, it holds its own as a taking fly, in any 

 season or locality. In " Favorite Flies," Mrs. 

 Marbury states that the majority of anglers place 

 the silver doctor at the head of the list, especially 

 for evening use. It did not originate in this coun- 

 try, but it has been heartily adopted, and adapted 

 to all waters by making it on all sizes of hooks. 

 Its value for all game-fish is undisputed. 



As a bass fly, next to the silver doctor, the Fer- 

 guson is probably the most successful fly used. It 

 is named after Major Ferguson, Fish Commis- 

 sioner of Maryland, who endorsed this special pat- 

 tern as the true one among a number of others 

 slightly different, but all of the same name. It is 

 a bold and bright-colored fly, the wing with long 

 streaks of yellow, red, and black showing brightly 

 in the water, the green hackle softly blending with 

 the black and bright-golden body. 



The matador was designed by William J. Cas- 

 sard, of New York, and later named by C. F. Orvis. 

 Its gay, rich dress, having wings of the black- 

 barred feathers of the wood-duck, with a bold white 

 streak running across the top, at once stamps it 

 as an excellent bass fly. 



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