Fly-Fijhing. 



21 



memorable event in the annals of my fly-fifhing 

 career, it completely undermines the novel notion 

 the Profeflbr afliimes, viz. " of fifhing with flies 

 which differ in colour and appearance from thofe 

 which prevail upon the water/' 



Once more, let any reader who has had the 

 good fortune to be plying the gentle art when the 

 May-fly was well on the water, tell me of what 

 ufe its oppofite in the artificial way, in colour, 

 fhape, and fize would have been ? Not feldom 

 within my remembrance have I gone on killing 

 trout after trout with a fly of this clafs, when others 

 without it have fifhed the fame water, often ahead 

 of me, with very indifferent fuccefs. 



I am free to admit that the neateft fly that was 

 ever made falls miferably fhort of the beautiful 

 infects the fly-fimer is fo converfant with. Still, 

 if you examine a well-made fly in fuch a manner 

 as it is prefented to a fifh looking up at it, it is not 

 fo very unlike a natural one as to be amenable to 

 the Profeflbr's ridicule. I have proved this over 

 and over again by exhibiting one to ladies and 

 children, and hearing from their lips the remark 

 that " it certainly is very like a fly." 



That a fervile imitation of a natural fly is necef- 

 fary, I .by no means aflert. On the contrary, 



