How to throw the Flies. 65 



the more sure are you to hook your fish, and these gen- 

 erally of a larger size; but the kind of river and the 

 colour of the water, as I said before, will in all cases 

 regulate their dimensions. 



The earliness or lateness of a season is ruled by the 

 weather, as this affects the breeding of insects. In the 

 early part of the season the best sport is obtained at the 

 tails of pools, and in the pools themselves ; but when it is 

 further advanced the streams have the preference. April 

 and May are the two best months for Fly-fishing. 



Mild showery weather is always good for sport, and 

 frequently, in the height of the season, a downright wet 

 day ensures a heavy creel. 



There is always " a feed" during some part of the day, 

 and that is the time to kill the bulk of your fish. This 

 is known from the way in which they begin to rise, as 

 they make the water appear quite alive at such times. 



Take every precaution to throw your flies on the water 

 naturally, that is, in the same way as the insects them- 

 selves alight upon it, and let your imitations have as nearly 

 as possible the same motion through the water, for trout 

 readily detect any unnatural motion. If you learn to 

 throw with the left hand, it will give you great advantage 

 when among woody banks, &c. 



Mr. Stewart has probably not had much experience in 

 really bright, low, and clear English streams, where trout 

 are scarce, and the water open and much harassed by flog- 

 ging Anglers, or he would never have made such erroneous 

 observations regarding the pre-eminence of colour in 

 general fly-dressing. Any bungler can kill trout in many 

 of the Scotch waters, where they are so numerous, and 

 natural flies, as well as Anglers, proportionately scarce. 



I do not here allude to flies dressed on gut at all, for 

 that is only a material fit for a novice to use in our clear 

 waters, or where trout 'run very large, but to single-hair. 



