192 GOLDEN DAYS 



to account for the fact that Breton trout 

 show a partiality for an artificial fly that 

 is rather warmer in colour than the natural 

 fly, as ice see it, on the water. It will be 

 admitted, moreover, that if an artificial fly 

 be placed, floating, side by side with a 

 natural specimen, the two may present 

 identically the same appearance to the 

 angler, while from the reverse point of 

 view, and against the light, these same two 

 flies might, by reason of their diverse 

 textures and transparency, appear totally 

 dissimilar. 



Of course, we are all anxious to obtain 

 a fly which is the replica of the living fly. 

 The exact imitation theory is the only 

 sound one, but it should be an exact copy, 

 as seen by the fish from below, not as seen 

 by the fisherman from the bank above. In 

 reality these can be totally opposed points 

 of colour view. To prove this we need 

 not make minute investigations with a 

 microscope. A living Mayfly placed 

 floating in a glass finger-bowl will at 

 once settle the matter. As it rests 

 shimmering on the water, touched here 

 and there by the most subtle opalescent 



