THE FLY 43 



shades." Since, therefore, the natural February Reds 

 are not all alike, a slight diversity among the angler's 

 imitations is quite legitimate. The lure may vary 

 within the limits prescribed by nature without sacri- 

 ficing its claim to be considered representative of the 

 natural fly. But the divergencies which exist among 

 the flies I am considering are not individual ; are not 

 even varietal ; they are specific, and it is impossible to 

 believe that these flies are all dressed on the same 

 model. They do not represent one, but several, species 

 of fly— if they can be truthfully said to represent any- 

 thing. The variety they display would be surprising 

 enough if they embodied the conceptions of different 

 artists ; it is quite confounding to discover in B.'s book 

 two examples of the fly so utterly unlike that even the 

 assurance of the text fails to persuade us that they are 

 the same. They cannot both be right, but they may 

 both be wrong — as indeed they are. A cursory exam- 

 ination of the Plate will suffice to show that in neither 

 are the features of the natural fly reproduced with even 

 an approach to accuracy. Were the trout possessed of 

 a fraction of the intelligence with which we credit him 

 he would detect their unreality at a glance. It is im- 

 possible that in a good light and with time for even 

 hasty observation he can perceive a likeness between 



