70 Size, Shape, and Colour required in Flies. 



that trout are very nice observers of colour. Conse- 

 quently, I was not a little surprised to find, in a book 

 entitled, f " Angling," &c. by R. Blakey, these very sage 

 remarks : " Now we have long arrived at the conclusion, 

 that anglers are vastly more fastidious about the shape and 

 colour of their flies than trout are. The fact seems to be 

 that when trout are inclined to feed on this kind of bait, 

 it does not much signify what shape or colour your fly is 

 provided the size be strictly attended to. Any great dis- 

 proportion in this particular will decidedly mar all chances 

 of success." It is a pity that such utter trash should have 

 been written by one professing to be an angler and pub- 

 lished by a respectable house. The veriest tyro in the 

 art could confute from experience such unfounded asser- 

 tions. 



I have yet to learn " that trout will take a larger fly 

 in May than June," as Mr. Stewart, p. 64, asserts. The 

 fact that he has killed trout with the green-drake in May, 

 and could not do so in June, when the fly was on the 

 water in the greatest abundance, must be attributed to 

 his want of skill, and not to the season. The green-drake 

 requires particular fishing, for which directions under that 

 head will be given hereafter. Again, if the trout do not 

 see any resemblance between the imitation and the na- 

 tural fly, why not use any colour and shape ? " If the size 

 and colour suit, it will just kill as well as any other," Mr. 

 Stewart says. " Indeed, a red hackle, dressed with red 

 silk, and twisted round a No. 2 Limerick hook, will kill 

 as well as a neatly dressed winged fly on same sized 

 hook, with the same coloured feather and silk thread, 

 and made to represent the natural insect in shape, as 

 near as may be." If he make that assertion, and if I 

 read his work aright, it amounts to this, I beg totally to 

 disagree with him. It is as much as to say that a child 

 could not distinguish a man dressed in sheep-skins and 



