THE FLY 41 



the best of reasons for believing that it is modelled on 

 none, but his ignorance is not shared by his quarry. 

 That his artificial fly is taken by the fish proves beyond 

 dispute that it is the counterpart of something within 

 their knowledge. 



That the professed follower of nature's teaching per- 

 mits himself the use of lures for which she affords no 

 sanction is not, perhaps, a very serious offence ; it is but 

 one of the little eccentricities which mark his practice 

 and proves entirely harmless. It is, however, astound- 

 ing to find him employing a variety of artificial flies all 

 bearing the same name and all, no matter how dis- 

 similar their characters, posing as the counterfeit pre- 

 sentments of the same original. 



I have before me several illustrations of the fly 

 known as the February Red. They provide us with a 

 valuable object lesson. They expose the hollowness of 

 the fisherman's belief that he is necessarily fishing with 

 a lure dressed in the likeness of nature because it bears 

 the name of a known fly. The ground of his convic- 

 tions does not stand investigation. His sincerity is 

 above suspicion, but in the ease with which he permits 

 himself to be deceived he displays a singular credulity. 

 In simple confidence, he accepts his flies from those 

 who, he trusts, know more of entomology than he ; 

 4 



