78 A SCOTTISH FLY-FISHER 



through the water, or on a variety of small organisms 

 on the bottom or among the weeds, and as these — the 

 organisms, not the weeds — are without wings, or have 

 their wings folded away out of sight, the angler, in his 

 desire for scientific accuracy, omits such organs from 

 the dressing of the lure. He argues that, since the 

 objects engaging the attention of the trout are wingless, 

 the presence of wings on the artificial fly tends to 

 arouse their suspicion and alarm. But the practice is 

 not universal. There are some members of the dry-fly 

 school who do not find the fearful and suspicions trout 

 dismayed by the apparition of a winged insect in their 

 midst. The Marquess of Granby confesses to a 

 preference for the Alder when fishing for tailing trout. 

 According to custom, he casts down stream and works 

 his fly upwards against the current. Now, the Alder 

 is a fly that is never on the water of its own will, 

 and since the fish can never have seen it in the 

 situation in which they find its image, deeply sub- 

 merged, hanging in the stream, or strenuously forcing 

 its way against it, the sceptic is tempted to en- 

 quire, " What of the faithful imitation of nature 

 theory?" The statement — of the poet — that " Nature 

 best followed best secures the sport," appears, on 

 the face of it, so obvious that it might almost be 



