LURES IN HOT WEATHER. 1 99 



When the fish are basking, during the mid-day 

 hours in the hot summer months, they are not always 

 to be drawn to the surface by small flies. The red 

 caterpillar, elsewhere described, we believe to be un- 

 surpassed for trout and large grayling at mid-day ; 

 and when cast as a night-fly in the " gloaming " of 

 evening. Browns and gaudily-dressed lake flies, too, 

 when cast" and played like a minnow, just below the 

 surface of the water, are good. But the combination 

 more suitable for this method is the dressing known as 

 the* " Alexandra fly." This is as large as a full-sized 

 Sewin fly, the hook employed being a Limerick, the 

 shank carefully wrapped with broad silver tinsel, to 

 represent the body; the wings, if any, consist of a 

 dozen strands or so of brown turkey feather ; hackles, 

 blue feather from the peacock's neck. This fly was 

 originally introduced by Dr. Hobbs, some fifteen 

 years ago. Upon well-wooded, swift-running waters 

 it is most useful ; the line is allowed to run out with 

 the current, being then drawn back up-stream by a 

 series of short jerks that serve to open and shut the 

 fibres of the hackle, thus exposing the white body 

 only at intervals, at measured distances. It is sur- 

 prising how the fish will follow and take this fly when 

 in the " running " mood. It is, most certainly, far 

 superior to the minnow, from the fly-fisher's point of 

 view, 



In angling there are various influences that affect 

 the fish, and which are as yet but little understood. 

 Not only are their habits and movements most 

 important to the angler, but, for the better pursuit 



