220 NOTES ON THE MONTHS FOR FLY-FISHING. 



The Yellow Duns of April (two shades) and the 

 Pale-Blue Dun, being April specimens of the Olive 

 Dun (ephemerals) are of great importance ; indeed, 

 I look upon this fly in its various stages as being 

 the most useful to the angler through the whole 

 season. This fly, after living three days, casts its 

 coat, and then appears as the Red Spinner. These 

 flies whirl in clouds a distance above the water, 

 frequently alighting on the surface ; every time 

 they do so they deposit an egg, which, as we 

 have observed elsewhere, produce duns of the 

 ^olive family, ranging in shade from the blue dun, 

 to the pale evening white, according to the 

 temperature of the water and weather, when the 

 larva attains its maturity. The Red Spinner is a 

 delicately transparent fly, the legs are fiery brown, the 

 tail double the length of the dun's, the body a ruddy 

 yellow. In consequence of the tails being long, it is 

 necessary to put them on the artificials, though not 

 requisite in the case of the duns. As the fish gene- 

 rally rise at the tail-end of the fly we have found it 

 detrimental in hooking, especially when rabbit's 

 whiskers are used, as is generally the case. When we 

 do attach the tails, we use three fibres of a large cock's 

 hackle. Towards evening is the best time to use 

 these flies, as in the heat of the day they take refuge 

 in the foliage of bushes and small trees on the banks 

 of the stream, but at sunset appear in great numbers. 

 The duns are principally used at mid-day, the light 

 April Dun, and Pale Blue Dun on light genial days, 

 the Dark April Dun on dull cloudy days. It may be 



