44 STONE FLIES PERLID^. 



The Willow fly (fig. 55) comes on later in the 

 season. It is seen flying in the sunshine at times in 

 thousands, gently drifting before the wind, and is also 

 a great favourite. 



The small Yellow Sally (fig. 54) is another 

 favourite, though for a time its imitation was my 

 despair. However, dyed gut or condor quill as a body, 

 and really glassy hackle points for the wings and legs, 

 have proved the undoing of many trout since then. 



The small dark needle fly (fig. 56) is found in 

 abundance on most stony streams, and is the last type 

 we propose to show of this interesting and useful 

 family of flies. 



Unfortunately, in the English language, there is 

 no book giving a complete account of the Stone flies 

 (perlidcE)^ though some work has been done by mem- 

 bers of the Ray, Linnean, and other societies, and it is 

 stated that there are about thirty varieties indigenous 

 to this country. As their name suggests, all frequent 

 stony rapid streams, and in consequence their imita- 

 tions are of the highest importance to anglers in the 

 upper waters of our rivers. 



They hatch out as early as February, and some 

 members of the family are with us until after the 

 angling season closes. The sight of this plate recalls 

 many happy days of glorious success with baskets of 

 fine fish, taken with the large stone fly when the 

 elements were capricious and anything but favourable, 

 also when the conditions were fine and bright, and the 

 fish were taken from amongst the stones, almost on the 



