MAGGOTS AS AN ADDITION TO FLY. 125 



posing, that as it is the worm season, the trout are 

 on the outlook for this description of food, and pay 

 no attention to the flies ; at least in such circum- 

 stances we never see many rises at the natural 

 insect. 



In the summer months it is considered a great 

 improvement to hook a maggot to the end of the 

 fly, but this is not fly-fishing, and changes the 

 character of the lure from the most clean and plea- 

 sant to the most disagreeable of all the methods of 

 capturing trout. It has, moreover, at all times a 

 substitute in a fine red worm, which is much more 

 agreeable to handle, and will kill two for one which 

 the fly with the maggot will. 



August is a better month for the fly than July, 

 and during the whole of it, but especially at the 

 latter end, trout rise freely. Night-fishing may 

 now be said to be at an end ; the nights in general 

 are cold and frosty, and the trout will not rise 

 freely ; so that there is little inducement to leave a 

 comfortable bed to shiver at the water-side. By 

 the beginning of September there is a visible change 

 for the worse in the condition of the trout they 

 are full of spawn, and are fast losing strength, firm- 

 ness, and flavour. They now commence to leave 

 the streams, and return to the pools and more 

 quiet water; it is worthy of remark, that those 

 which remain in the streams are generally in good 

 condition ; if they were not, they would not have 

 strength to keep their place in strong water. The 



