CHAP. VII.] THE SECOND DAT. 419 



with three good hairs a-piece, taken from me in despite of 

 my heart, besides. 1 



12. I should now come next to the stone-fly, but there is 

 another gentleman in my way, that must of necessity come 

 in between: and that is the Gray-drake, 2 which, in all 

 shapes and dimensions, is perfectly the same with the other, 

 but quite almost of another colour ; being of a paler and 

 more livid yellow and green, and ribbed with black quite 

 down his body, with black, shining wings, and so diaphanous 

 and tender, cobweb-like, that they are of no manner of use 

 for daping, but come in, and are taken after the green- 

 drake, and in an artificial fly kill very well ; which fly is 

 thus made: the dubbing of the down of a hog's bristles, 

 and black spaniel's fur, mixed, and ribbed down the body 

 with black silk, the whisks of the hairs of the beard of a 

 black cat, and the wings of the black-gray feather of a 

 mallard. 



And now I come to the Stone-fly, but arn afraid I have 

 already wearied your patience ; which, if I have, I beseech 

 you freely tell me so, and I will defer the remaining instruc- 

 tions for fly-angling till some other time. 3 



Viat. No, truly, sir, I can never be weary of hearing you. 

 But if you think fit, because I am afraid I am too trouble- 

 some, to refresh yourself with a glass and a pipe : you may 

 afterwards proceed, and I shall be exceedingly pleased to 

 hear you. 



Pise. I thank you, sir, for that motion : for, believe me, 



1 The fly will be taken or not, according to the colour of the water or of 

 the sky, not the season. RENNIE. 



2 Gray-drake. The body, of an absolute white ostrich feather ; the end 

 of the body towards the tail, of peacock's herl ; warping, of an ash colour, 

 with silver twist and black hackle ; wing, of a dark grey feather of a mal- 

 lard. A very killing fly, especially towards the evening, when the fish are 

 glutted with the green-drake. H. 



3 To Cotton's list of flies for the early part of May must be added the 

 Oak-fly, mentioned by Walton (Chap. V., pp. 152, 153), and still one of 

 the most favourite and killing flies from March to June, Hawkins, in his 

 Appendix, thus describes it for making : The head large, ash-coloured ; 

 the upper part of the body greyish, with two or three hairs of bright brown 

 mixed, and a very little light blue, and sometimes a hair or two of light 

 green ; the tail part greyish, mixed with orange ; wing of a mottled brown 

 feather of a woodcock, partridge, or brown hen. Hook, No. 8 or 9. 



E E 2 



