148 WHY DO THE FISH RISE? 



well advised in giving more attention to their claims 

 as " fishing flies." The rise seen without any apparent 

 hatch of flies going on, is at times clearly attributable 

 to these small pests rising to emerge from the surface, 

 and if at such times a carefully tied imitation is used, 

 it is worth all the Duns in the world. 



The Tipulidce, which vary in size from three- 

 sixteenths of an inch long to over two inches in length, 

 are commonly known as Crane Flies, and the larger 

 varieties as Daddy Long-legs, and these latter have a 

 very alluring way of dipping along the surface of the 

 water, especially on a breezy day towards the middle 

 or end of the season, when the trout are getting weary 

 of being bombarded with Duns, natural and artificial 

 alike. 



Imitations of these flies float well, and I know 

 from experience are " excellent medicine," but they 

 must not be dressed with double bunched hackles, but 

 lean and rakish, with long trailing legs and cock point 

 hackle wings, and then, even old shy fish that have 

 refused a hundred lures fall victims to their seductive 

 charms. Nor are these the only Diptera which are 

 seen on the water and will charm when Duns cease to 

 have interest ; in very bright hot weather, the Green 

 Insect, the Wood Fly, the Blue-bottle, and flies of that 

 type do excellent service if made the right size and 

 form, whether dressed as hackles or winged flies 

 matters not, and there is little difference in their 

 floating qualities ; but all winged flies, unless the 

 wings are fairly soft, have a great tendency to twist a 

 fine gut cast in such a way as to speedily work its ruin. 



