GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 6 1 



has come to be regarded with greater favour in the north 

 than a winged one, becomes obvious. 



Again, there can be no doubt that a large number of the 

 winged transformations of the pupae never reach the surface 

 of the water : either they are imperfectly hatched and are 

 seized as they are borne down the stream, or they are 

 pounced upon by eager trout in their ascent from the 

 bottom of the river to the air. In both cases the hackled 

 fly is quite sufficiently deceptive. The angler will notice, 

 too, in the practice of his art, that the hackled fly will usually 

 be taken under the surface of the stream, and if further 

 illustration is necessary, he will find that on very cold, dark 

 days when there is not sufficient warmth to hatch out 

 many perfect flies if the hackled fly be allowed to sink in 

 the stream as far down as possible, and then be quietly 

 worked up in a series of short and gentle jerks, it will often 

 account for fish which can be got in no other way. Most 

 anglers are familiar with the fact that trout will not take, 

 off hand, every natural insect which comes floating along 

 the surface of the river. The fish require to familiarize 

 themselves with its appearance and satisfy themselves 

 thoroughly as to its flavour before they begin to take it 

 greedily. The stone-fly, for instance, is allowed to sail away 

 unnoticed for a week or so after it comes on before trout 

 appear to awake to the fact that there is a feast afloat above 

 them, after which they all with one consent begin to make 

 gluttons of themselves : similarly the dark watchet (the 

 iron-blue dun) sails jauntily away, untouched, or, perhaps, 

 picked up by the swallows, until his appearance and flavour 

 are accepted as good. Against these facts the hackled fly 

 appears as an imitation of an atom with the size, colour 

 and imperfect shape of which the fish have for some 

 time been familiar, as the half-hatched flies became their 

 victims. 



