ODD NOTIONS RESPECTING FLIES. 73 



for noon, and another for the evening of every day 

 in the year, and spend a great deal of time in taking 

 off one fly, because it is a shade too dark, and a 

 second because it is a shade too light, and a third to 

 give place to the imitation of some insect which has 

 just made its appearance on the water. 



During the summer months it is supposed that 

 the varieties of insects are reckoned by the thousand, 

 and we have seen several dozens of different kinds 

 on the water at one time, all of which are greedily 

 devoured by the trout. Those anglers who think 

 trout will take no fly unless it is an exact imitation 

 of some one of the immense number of flies they are 

 feeding on, must suppose that they know to a shade 

 the colour of every fly on the water, and can detect 

 the least deviation from it an amount of entomo- 

 logical knowledge that would put to shame the 

 angler himself, and a good many naturalists to boot. 

 This opinion arises from the supposition that trout 

 will not take anything readily unless they are accus- 

 tomed to feed upon it, and consequently that they 

 will not take a fly unless it has been on the water 

 sufficiently long to allow them to become acquainted 

 with it. Nothing can be more erroneous than this. 

 Trout will take worms and grubs which they have 

 never seen before. They will also take parr-tail 

 readily, and they can never have seen it before ; and 

 in like manner with other things ; and there is no 

 reason why fly should be an exception. 



We do not think it at all likely that trout can 



