44 A SCOTTISH FLY-FISHER 



things so far apart. Yet, though B.'s examples of the 

 February Red are so unlike I have no doubt that he 

 employs both in equal confidence ; when angling with 

 either he is probably quite sincere in his persuasion that 

 he is offering the trout an exact " imitation of the fly 

 on the water or due to be there." 



The writer whom I have designated A. assures us, 

 gravely, that to be efficient the imitation must be per- 

 fect ; the natural fly must be reproduced in "all its 

 delicacy and grace." Fig. 2 illustrates his easily satis- 

 fied conception of a perfect imitation. In his case, it is 

 true, some allowance must be made for the crude 

 quality of his art ; but however indulgently we treat 

 his pictured representation of the fly in question, its 

 resemblance to the original eludes detection. 



The February Red is not alone ; there are others 

 whose identity is quite as carefully concealed. Figs. 5, 

 6, 7, and 8 represent the Alder with several of its 

 alleged presentments. While these bear a general 

 resemblance to each other, they vary in details unlikely 

 to escape the least observant. Fig. 8 is dressed with a 

 dark hackle ; Figs. 6 and 7 with hackles of a warm 

 ginger colour ; the last is furnished with a " whisk," an 

 ornament with which the natural fly is not adorned. 

 The remaining figures illustrate the Sand-Fly, real and 



