AMERICAN TROUT-STREAM INSECTS 



on worms or else by the baser method of driving 

 them to shallow water and kicking or scooping them 

 out on dry land without the aid of tackle or bait. 



Many of the less important July insects continue 

 to rise through the first half of August. Stone- 

 flies were rising every day in large numbers, and 

 they increased in size. The first new typical speci- 

 men of drake, which I name the black dose, ap- 

 peared on the 15th. General conditions were nor- 

 mal — ^hot, sultry days, with frequent local thunder 

 showers just after sunset, generally at precisely the 

 time insects began to rise. Native anglers believe 

 that lightning puts down trout from feeding. I 

 experienced this difficulty on three occasions during 

 August. Flies continued to rise after the rain- 

 storm passed by, but the trout would not respond to 

 my lures, though I fished till dark. 



It was rare, indeed, to find any insects worth 

 recording during the daytime. One conspicuous 

 exception was a remarkable rise and heavy fiight 

 of the greentail ant, which I shall describe more 

 fully in its proper place. 



It would frequently happen that a fairly good 

 rise of insects appeared on wet days, earlier in the 

 season; but not so in August. It made no differ- 

 ence what the weather was, insects rarely appeared 

 in flight till nearly dusk; sometimes it was pitch 

 dark, so that I could not see to capture them. 



Therefore, August is not a good month for in- 



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