160 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



should be left on at the shoulders to form the legs. Wings, 

 from the woodcock or hen pheasant's wing. 



The Little Blue, Sky Blue, etc. (see Plate VI 1 1, Fig. 9, p. 134). 

 This is a small dun which comes on this month ; the fish are 

 very fond of it, and it would be a very valuable fly to the 

 angler if it were more possible to imitate it properly, which 

 is a most difficult matter from its diminutiveness and extreme 

 delicacy and transparency. The best way to dress it is on a 

 No. 12 or 13 hook : for the body, pale buff mohair wound on 

 very closely and neatly, a strand or two being left out for the 

 legs ; tail, two strands of a buff hackle ; wings of the finest 

 and brightest pale blue feather that can be got the tern or 

 sea-swallow is chiefly used, but I think fine blue hackle points 

 would be preferable. Perhaps the best way is to dress it 

 hackle fashion or buzz, and to take off nearly all the breast 

 portion of the feather, leaving the upper part to do duty for 

 wings, and the mohair for legs. A pale blue dotterel hackle 

 will be found as good a feather for the purpose as can be 

 used. I have been rather particular with this fly as it appears 

 or others very similar to it do at intervals until the end of 

 the season. When it comes on the trout will often take it for 

 some time to the exclusion of many other flies which may be 

 coming down the water simultaneously. 



The Alder or Orl Fly (see Plate VIII, Fig. 15). This is 

 one of the best flies that comes upon the water ; it varies 

 considerably in size, and while some specimens may be found 

 small enough to be dressed on a No. 9 hook, others may be 

 met with large enough for a No. 6 ; 7 or 8 will be therefore 

 the best medium sizes. Body, large and full, of a coppery 

 peacock herl ; legs, a dark grizzled blue dun or rusty black 

 cock's hackle ; wings, from the brown speckled feather from 

 the rump of a brown game hen. The natural insect may be 

 used in daping. From the middle of May till the end of June it 

 will be found, particularly towards evening, a very useful fly, 

 and when it first makes its appearance few flies are in more 

 request, and dace and chub as well as trout take it very freely. 

 It was with this fly I achieved the day's sport mentioned at 

 p. 119, on the Rennet, using one of Ogden's patterns, which 

 are the best I know of. 



The Pale Evening Dun (see Plate VIII, Fig. 8, p. 134) is a 

 rather light yellow dun, with a prevailing pale olive tinge 

 given by a dip in onion dye. The spinner of this fly is of a 

 very pale watery brown, legs light buff, and the wing white 



