352 AMERICAN ANGLER'S BOOK. 



latter for high water. The Blue-and-brown, by tying with 

 darker-tinted hackles and bodies, as the water clears, he uses 

 almost entirely. He told me he fished the Lakes of Killarney, 

 and the clear rivers of Ireland, with the same flies in his boy- 

 hood, and he still adheres to them : his favorite, the Blue-and- 

 brown, has become so famous amongst the anglers of the 

 province, that it has taken his name, the " Nicholson fly." 



Flies for American rivers — except when the water is dis- 

 colored by a freshet — as a general rule, should be of darker 

 and more sober tints than those used in Scotland and Ireland. 

 The feathers to be preferred for wings, are taken from the 

 wing-coverts of the male mallard, the tail of the wild turkey, 

 and the second joint of the wing, and tail of a dark-brown 

 mottled hen, or spruce grouse; the two last are for small 

 flies, and will raise a Salmon on fine water when nothing else 

 will. For full water, or when it is discolored, wood-duck 

 and gray mallard are used, mixed occasionally with a few 

 fibres of red ibis, or a single topping of golden pheasant. 



The bodies of those that have dark wings should be of red, 

 brown, and purple dubbing, of different shades, varied occa- 

 sionally with orange, yellow, and black, and wrapped with 

 hackles of the same colors. Sometimes two hackles of differ- 

 ent color, as red and blue, are used. The bodies and hackles 

 of flies for high water should be of light colors to correspond 

 with the wings : of these, pale yellow, pearl color, and light 

 gray are most suitable. 



This limited assortment of feathers for wings, and hackles 

 and dubbing for bodies, is all that one requires on the rivers 

 of New Brunswick. Add to these, black ostrich and copper- 

 colored peacock hurl, for the heads ; a dozen or so of golden 

 pheasant ruff-feathers for tails; gold and silver tinsel — flat 

 and twisted ; tying silk, wax, and a little varnish to put on 



