TROUT FLIES. 257 



(for sea-trout.) 

 4. 'Hackle Claret.' — Body lightish ('pinky') claret pig's wool, ribbed with 

 silver oval ; hackle, black cock's (natural) ; tail, golden pheasant topping, laid 

 on flat, as shown in fig. 2, which is a facsimile of this fly. 



[This is the best lake fly for sea-trout that I know, and at that paradise 

 of the sea-trout fisher. Bally nahinch,^ Connemara, I have had splendid sport 

 with it in all weathers and waters in July and August. The fly figured in the 

 engraving — tied on a Limerick No. 7 (new scale) — is a good medium size. 

 It may, however, be used with advantage even several sizes larger in very rough 

 weather and rising water, and., per contra, in bright, fine weather, i, 2, or even 

 3 sizes smaller. I have never found it do much as a dropper ; its place un- 

 doubtedly is as the tail fly. As a drop-fly in lake-trout fishing for sea-trout I 

 should be disposed to give a trial first to No. 2 (' Yellow '), and, that failing, to 

 No. 3 ('Green'). If neither of these succeed, a blue or a black fly might be 

 tried, for which, perhaps, one or other of the following dressings will be found 

 as good as any] : — 



'Blue.' — Body dark blue pig's wool, ribbed with fine silver oval j 

 hackle, black (natural), or a dark ' Furnace ' with very dark stem ; tail, 

 Indian crow, laid on flat, with concave side uppermost, or (2) a golden 

 pheasant topping. 



Blue is a colour that seems to kill best in the earlier part of the season, 

 or when fish are running up fresh from the sea. 



' Black.' — Body (not very thick) black pig's wool, or crewel, ribbed with 

 fine silver oval ; black cock's (natural) or a jay hackle ; tail, Indian crow, 

 laid on flat, concave side uppermost. 



The above flies may be varied for experiment sake, if 

 desired, by substituting silk for pig's wool or crewel, or vice 

 versa ; but having tried all sorts of dressings of them myself, 

 I have here given those that I have found in practice to kill 

 the best. The reason why one fly kills best with a silk body 

 and another with a pig's wool or crewel body I am quite 

 unable to explain. 



General rules for dressing all the foregoing flies. 



I. The bodies of these flies should be dressed moderately slender rather 

 than 'fat,' and slightly tapering from the shoulder (the thickest part) to the tail. 



1 This fishery, probably the best for sea-trout in the United Kingdom open 

 to the public, is now leased by General Beresford, who allows no nets of any 

 sort on the river, up which in consequence the salmon and trout have a free 

 run into the beautiful chain of lakes above. The most central and convenient 

 of the three hotels on the fishery is the Royal Hotel, Recess, where all informa- 

 tion (which had better be obtained in advance) can be got from Mr. Redman, 

 the energetic and obliging landlord. Of course fishing tickets have to be paid 

 for. 



I. S 



