EVOIiUTION OF THE TROUT FLY. 159 



Cotton knew the fly well and gives an excellent 

 account of its history : he made the body of 

 dun bear's hair and brown and yellow camlet 

 well mixed, making your fly more yellow on the 

 belly and towards the tail, two or three hairs of 

 a black cat's beard for tail, and long, very large 

 wings of grey mallard. Though we use 

 different furs from Cotton, his body survives 

 unchanged in essence : but a hen pheasant's 

 quill feather makes a truer wing than light 

 mallard, and we like to add a hackle, either 

 blue dun or greenish. But the changes are 

 immaterial. 



Mayfly. 



We get now on more debateable ground. The 

 Treatise does not mention the Mayfly by name, 

 and its identification is matter of conjecture. 

 I believe, though I do not feel sure, that two 

 dressings are given, one dark and the other 

 lighter, just as they are used to-day, according 

 as the fly is brown or light. I take the Maure 

 {i.e. Mulberry-coloured) fly to be the first : it is, 

 be it noted, given as appearing in June : 'The 

 body of dusky wool, the wings of the blackest 

 mail of the wild drake.' Dark mallard is still 

 a favourite wing material. The second or 

 lighter dressing is 'The Tandy {i.e. tan- 

 coloured) fly at St. William's day, the body of 

 tandy wool and the wings contrary either 

 against other of the whitest mail of the wild 

 drake.' St. William's Day is 8th June, on 



