272 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



THE AWE AND THE ORCHY 



The same flies are used on both these rivers. I wrote and 

 asked a friend to obtain patterns for me if possible, and he got 

 them for me from Colonel Campbell, of Skipness, whose reputa- 

 tion as a sportsman is only second to his fame as an author ; 

 for few, if any, modern books of sporting adventures can com- 

 pare in point of general interest and sportsmanlike handling 

 with the Old Forest Ranger and My Indian Journal, 

 both of which are the productions of Colonel Campbell's pen. 

 He sends four flies. 



No. i is almost identical with No. i in the Conon patterns ; 

 see page 268. It is a common favourite, and a regular trial 

 horse in most of the Highland rivers. The only difference I 

 can discern is, that the turn of orange-brown pig's wool, which 

 commences the tail end of the fly, is transferred to the shoulder 

 and the colours run yellow, blue, and orange. The jungle 

 cock is also wanting, but these are matters of no moment. 

 The Colonel says of this fly, this is " the old legitimate Orchy 

 and Awe fly, and is considered a ' great medicine ' by the 

 natives, who ignore all others. It is a good fly, and is used of 

 various sizes, according to the state of the water, the enclosed 

 pattern being rather above the medium size (the enclosed 

 pattern was what I should call a largish 8 hook) ; but I have 

 found the three following more deadly " : 



No. 2. The Indian Crow. This fly is a slight variation of the 

 Popham, the lower joint being orange-yellow, the next two 

 light blue ; the hackle light blue instead of jay ; silver thread, 

 the joints being separated by black ostrich instead of peacock 

 herl. The Colonel says of this fly : " So-called from the feathers 

 of the Indian crow in the body. I tried this fly for the first 

 time about five years ago, and have killed with it and the 

 Butcher, No. 3, more and larger fish than with any other 

 a deadly fly in any river on which I have tried it." 



No. 3 is the Butcher ; but no two tyers dress the Butcher 

 alike, and in this one the claret is changed to bright red, the 

 blue is medium, the claret hackle is a brown olive, with a turn 

 of jay at the breast, and the wing is mixed of tippet and gold 

 pheasant tail, a good deal of bustard, a little gallina, blue, 

 red, and yellow swan, a topping over all, and a pair of short 

 jungle cock feathers at sides. The Colonel says : " Good either 

 on the Awe or the Orchy " ; and he adds, " the water being 



