TROUT INSECTS FOR MAY 



dark days, and flies more often at evening. Its 

 lower wings are much larger than the upper and 

 are placed quite far down on the third segment of 

 the thorax ; thus in flight it appears like two insects 

 moving very slowly in the air. When at rest the 

 wings lie flat and hang folded together, a little 

 wider than the hack and extending some distance 

 over the tail. 



Stone-flies do not drop to the surface to deposit 

 their eggs as do the drakes. Halford states in his 

 "Entomology": "The female drops them proba- 

 bly while flying at some distance above the water, 

 and they separate as they sink toward the bed of 

 the river." The fly, when it first emerges from its 

 case, is quite soft and of a pale yellow, but it soon 

 changes to a deeper brown. At all times it is heavy 

 in flight. The slightest touch disables it; and it 

 cannot rise from the surface if, by accident, it 

 touches the water. 



No. 12. Alder- fly. While plentiful among the 

 bushes and tall grass at evening, it does not seem 

 inclined to hover over the water as do many other 

 insects. Nevertheless, it is a favorite evening fly 

 and should be used as a wet fly only. It is equally 

 as good lure by day as by evening; though it is gen- 

 erally used as second fly, because while casting it 

 cannot be seen so well as a light-winged fly. It is 

 a very black insect ; larger than the black gnat, its 

 .wings being wider and hanging lower down on 



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