308 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



colored hackle round the shoulder, and ordinary red hackle 

 lower down. 



This fly has always been with me a great favorite, more 

 particularly if the water is clearing out after rain, and with 

 confidence I recommend it ; at the same time, I would have 

 two or three sizes, the choice to be dictated by the size of 

 water, color, and hour. Some persons, in addition, have 

 forked it with two or three hairs of the squirrel for tail; 

 and a very worthy friend and admirable fly-fisher, whose 

 success was a guarantee of his skill, used to affirm that 

 when fish wouldn't rise at " the drummer " you might as 

 well go to bed. As the results will show, my couch was 

 not put in requisition ; for ere many minutes I touched a 

 splendid fish, but unfortunately did not hold him. After a 

 few minutes without success, I moved a very heavy fish 

 without touching him. Again I gave him a chance, and he 

 tumbled over the fly like a porpoise, without any apparent 

 inclination to take. The third time that I offered, however, 

 I was more successful, for in striking I hooked the fish foul. 

 The result was curious, and far from satisfactory ; for this 

 fellow put me through a course of spurts which opened my 

 optics, and further convinced me of the uncertainty of the 

 movements or plan of escape that is probable to be adopted 

 by the impaled. What was my surprise and I am confi- 

 dent many others would have been similarly affected to 

 see my victim remain on the surface, not jumping out of 

 the stream, but beating the water with his tail, and violent- 

 ly struggling, making the liquid fly for feet around. For 

 several moments this continued, when, changing operations, 

 down stream he went with surprising velocity. The reel 

 screeched, and I followed with agile and careful steps, when 

 confound it ! the devil take it ! readers, you must ex- 

 cuse, remember the aggravation my rod broke at the fer- 

 rule of the second joint, and my line returned to my feet 



