INTRODUCTORY NOTE 



Leonard West's "The Natural Trout Fly and Its 

 Imitations." 



Now that so many American fly-fishermen de- 

 sire a knowledge of this subject, it would seem that 

 the time has arrived for a book on American insects ; 

 from the fact that anglers in all parts of the coun- 

 try have requested me to undertake this much- 

 needed work. 



In this volume I purpose to describe and picture 

 in colors a selected number of the most abundant 

 and most common insects that trout feed upon in a 

 typical American trout stream, and to show, side 

 by side with these, correct artificial imitation flies 

 tied by my own hands, in order that anglers may 

 better understand how to choose their own flies and 

 thus be enabled to lure fish with greater success and 

 pleasure than heretofore. 



In a handbook of this kind it would not be possi- 

 ble to include all of the large number of species and 

 the numerous varieties that inhabit the different 

 trout waters of the United States. I shall describe 

 those specimens found on streams in the mountain- 

 ous regions of New York and Pennsylvania, which 

 are available to the more northern and perhaps 

 southern zones. 



At the present time American and English artifi- 

 cial flies are, almost exclusively, what may be called 

 "fancy flies"; that is, tied flies made of colored 

 feathers and wool, without much attempt at imi- 



