22 AN ANGLER'S SEASON 



the case of the Mayfly, which is of various 

 hues and sizes, and is imitated with 

 exceeding care, and in the cases of the 

 March Brown and the Alder, which also 

 are honoured by elaborately studious 

 effigies ; but they are not exacting as to 

 the size or the tints of lures in imitation 

 of the smaller insects. The notion is 

 that the small flies are sufficiently similar 

 to warrant the belief that each of the 

 standard patterns will represent a good 

 many insects effectively. 



Now, it is worth noting that the lures 

 which are made scrupulously according 

 to the natural models are large. They 

 represent insects which are easily seen on 

 the water or in the air. Their shapes 

 and colours are readily manifest to the 

 human eye. Many of the other insects 

 are either so elusive in their colours or so 

 small that they are apt to escape the notice 

 of the angler. Thus it seems possible 

 that the general derogation of the belief 

 that you should have lures according to 

 many patterns is based on the assumption 



