42 OLD FLIES IN NEW DRESSES 



the trout feed upon them, and I have al- 

 most always found them in the stomachs of 

 trout when they have been numerous at 

 the water-side. I have also often dropped 

 a natural Alder on the water and seen it 

 taken by a trout. 



Many will probably think that I have 

 mistaken one of the Caddis-flies for the 

 Alder, but I can assure them that this is 

 not the case. I have always, with regard 

 to the Alder especially, made a very care- 

 ful examination of the flies at the water- 

 side, and, as every one knows, even a 

 cursory examination of the fly with a 

 magnify ing-glass puts an end to all doubt 

 as to its being an Alder or Caddis-fly, even 

 if the knowledge of entomology possessed 

 by him who examines is but small. The 

 peculiar hump-shape of the wings when 

 at rest also makes an Alder easily recog- 

 nisable. 



I believe that the great reason that the 

 imitation Alder is not so successful as it 

 should be, is because the wings are gene- 

 rally put in an absolutely impossible posi- 

 tion. This is not the fault of the fly- 

 clressers, as all writers on the subject 



