150 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



localities (for it is very local and abounding sometimes on one 

 or two miles of a river and absent from the next one or two) in 

 the balmy airs of June. Yet we use this fly even in February, 

 and it takes. We use it, moreover, as the cocky bondu on rivers 

 where the natural insect is never seen, and still it takes well at 

 times. It is more than probable that the fish mistake it either 

 for a water spider or the larva of some beetle or fly which it 

 may possibly resemble. There are many spiders, as I have 

 already pointed out, which lead an aquatic existence, and I am 

 very much of Mr. Stewart's opinion that the angler does not 

 sufficiently take these useful aids to his art under his considera- 

 tion. But although I can speak tolerably positively as to what 

 it is not mistaken for, I do not pretend to speak nearly so 

 positively as to what it is mistaken for. Spider, beetle, or 

 larva, it is a very useful insect to the angler, and though, as I 

 have said, I use it more for dace and chub than trout, many 

 anglers hold a different opinion of it, and dressed with a full 

 body of peacock herl on a No. 8, 9, or 10 hook, and three or four 

 turns of a fine blood-red cock's hackle, it will do some execu- 

 tion from March till October.* If the angler likes the coch y 

 bondu theory he can dress it with a hackle with a black centre 

 to it, when it will kill equally well, sometimes better. A further 

 description of the coch y bondu will be found subsequently. 



The black hackle is tied in the same way and of the same 

 size with a black cock's hackle and peacock's herl mixed with 

 black ostrich, but it is a less useful fly ; indeed, I seldom 

 employ it at all on our southern rivers. 



There are other flies recommended for March by various 

 writers which may be adopted if the angler thinks fit. Mr. 

 Ronalds recommends the peacock fly, which is rather a small- 

 winged beetle than a fly. It is somewhat local in its character 

 but is pretty plentiful where it is found. Body, bronze pea- 

 cock's herl dressed with mulberry silk ; wing, the darkest part 

 of a starling's wing ; legs, a hackle stained dark purple, 

 appearing black, but when held up to the light having a dark 

 tortoise-shell hue : hook, No. n or 12. The angler will usually 

 find, however, that for March he need not go far beyond one or 

 two shades of the blue dun, the March brown, the red spinner, 

 the cow-dung, and the coch y bondu. The rest he may have, 

 these he must. 



APRIL. For this month the best flies are those which I have 



* For chub the palmers are dressed upon No. 6 and 7 hooks and often 

 have as many as two hackles laid on to make them very bushy. F. F. 



