174 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



it dressed in Hampshire, where I have chiefly used it, differs 

 from both Ronalds and " Ephemera," and they differ some- 

 what from each other, I shall give the three dressings. 

 Ronalds : Squirrel's red-brown fur mixed with yellow mohair, 

 and tied with yellow silk well waxed ; tail, two strands of 

 ginger hackle ; wings, darkish starling ; legs, ginger hackle. 

 " Ephemera " substitutes water-rat fur for the body, and 

 dun hackle for the tail and legs. In Hampshire, the body is 

 made of the dirty blue feather of the heron's hackle or wing 

 used as a herl, or some other feather of that hue, and warped 

 with yellow silk ; legs, dun hackle with a grizzled dark- 

 brown tinge, or, if this cannot be got, a brown-red ; tail, the 

 same ; and this is the dressing which I prefer ; hooks, Nos. 10 

 and ii. The spinner of this fly resembles the common red 

 spinner. 



The Willow Fly (see Plate VIII, Fig. 13, p. 134) much re- 

 sembles the needle brown, and like it belongs to the neurop- 

 terous flies of the family Perlidae. It is seen on warm days at 

 intervals through the winter. Mr. Ronalds recommends 

 it to be dressed buzz. Body, mole's fur spun on yellow silk ; 

 wings and legs, a dark dun cock's hackle, strongly tinged of a 

 copper colour ; hook, No. 10 or n. In Devonshire, it is 

 called the " old besom," elsewhere it is almost universally 

 known as the willow fly. 



Many small and delicate duns come on during this month, 

 but the angler will have good imitations in his book from the 

 list already given ; and though his best sport will still be had 

 in the evening, yet an occasional raw and gusty day may 

 come to the angler's aid, and, with a gentle tinge of colour 

 from rain on the water, aid him in making up a decent bag. 

 September is usually a better month for the fly-fisher than 

 August the fish seem to rise better ; but for the evening the 

 sedge, cinnamon, barm fly (or nobbier), Hammond's adopted, 

 and flies of that class, with the moths, will be found the chief bill 

 of fare. Earlier in the evening various spinners and duns 

 particularly the whirling and on a windy dull day, the willow, 

 with any special fancy of the angler's, must suffice for his 

 repertoire from now to the end of the season. 



There are many other flies given by good authorities, but 

 to describe them all would be an endless task. I have there- 

 fore only added a few general flies which are tried and well- 

 deserved favourites, which may resemble something on or 

 in the waters, but what that something is one can hardly 



