156 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



even at the best, as they will do that of flies more easily 

 imitated. 



The Black Gnat. This would be another very useful fly, 

 but is also difficult to imitate from its exceeding diminutive- 

 ness. This fly has been called " the fisherman's curse," 

 because when the fish are rising at it well, they are said to 

 seldom take the imitation or any other fly. Still I have had a 

 good deal of sport with it, when but a few, or indeed none of 

 them, have been on the water ; I confess, however, when they are 

 on very thickly, and the trout have been taking them freely or 

 almost exclusively, that I have found my imitation though not 

 altogether useless, yet greatly at a discount. Nevertheless, as 

 I have said, it is occasionally a useful fly, when it dwells rather 

 in the trout's memory than in his eye, and I know good anglers 

 who are even very partial to the use of it, and who as often 

 put it into their cast as any other fly. Choose your smallest 

 hooks, take a black ostrich herl with the shortest fibre you can 

 find if not short enough, clip the body when tied up with a 

 fine pair of scissors ; two turns of a very small black hackle for 

 legs ; some eschew legs altogether it certainly makes the fly 

 less bulky. Wings, two very fine clear slips of a starling's 

 feather, and dressed as low and flat as you can conveniently 

 fix them. The fly is hardly abundant till the warmer suns of 

 May bring it forth, but then it sometimes is very thickly on. 



On a hook three sizes larger put the same dressing, the body 

 being, of course, comparatively stouter, with wings and legs to 

 match, or you may use a dark lead-blue dun hackle, and you 

 have 



The Hawthorn Fly (see Plate VIII, Fig. 18, p. 134). A land 

 fly, but at times by no means a useless ally of the angler's 

 where hedges abound. Both the above flies are found more 

 plentifully towards the end of the month. 



The Gravel Bed or Spider Fly (see Plate VIII, Fig. 17, p. 134). 

 This is rather a local fly, and is not found upon every river, 

 but when it is found it is a great favourite with the fish ; but 

 it is capricious even in these places on dark, cold days, scarcely 

 showing at all. But let an hour of warm sunshine break forth, 

 and they come creeping from their holes to the great delight 

 of the hungry trout. They abound on the Usk in South Wales, 

 and on many of the Derbyshire streams they are found, but 

 less plentifully. On sedgy rivers, flowing over a loamy or 

 muddy bed they are not found. Hook No. 10 ; body fine, of 

 dark slate or lead-coloured floss silk ; legs very long, almost as 



