CHAPTEE Y. 



FLIES, FLY-DRESSING, ETC. 



'HE practice of using artificial flies has un- 

 doubtedly had its origin in the necessity 

 for imitating insects, which cannot be 

 used in their natural state. From the 

 first rude attempt at fly-making of some in- 

 genious angler, the art has gone on progress- 

 6 ing, the number of imitations always increas- 

 ing, and the prevalent opinion always being 

 that, in order to fish successfully, the angler 

 must use an imitation of one or other of the natural 

 insects on the water at the time. In spite of the 

 exertions of Mr. "Wilson and Mr. Stoddart to incul- 

 cate an opposite theory, this opinion is still held by 

 the great majority of anglers in Scotland, while in 

 England it is all but universal. 



Anglers holding these views rejoice in the pos- 

 session of as many different varieties of flies as 

 would stock a fishing-book, all of which they con- 

 sider imitations of so many real insects, and classify 

 under the heads of the different months when these 

 appear. They have a fly for the morning, another 



