160 FLY FISHING FOR TROUT. 



many waters the date of the fly's appearance. 



Now, if these two dressings are looked at, 

 they are not bad. They stand comparison with 

 those of admitted masters. For instance, 

 Ronalds made the wings of light mallard, 

 stained either olive or purple; and before and 

 after him, from Cotton in the seventeenth 

 century to Francis in the nineteenth, the 

 common wing feather is light mallard, usually 

 dyed pale green or yellow, but sometimes 

 undyed. Undyed widgeon is also used : and it 

 is worth noting that Markham used light 

 widgeon set back to back. The dark brown 

 mallard was less common, but was used by 

 Ogden, who preferred undyed feathers, and 

 plenty of flies with undyed mallard wings both 

 light and dark are to be seen in the shop 

 windows as I write. And note too that in one 

 fly in the Treatise the mallard wings are to be 

 tied on back to back, as they are to-day. So 

 there is nothing wrong with the wings. As to 

 body, it was made either of dusky or tan- 

 coloured wool. This is too dark, but not 

 greatly so, for one of the very best raayflies that 

 I know has the body of dark copper-coloured 

 silk. 



So much for the identification; and while it 

 does not reach certainty, it amounts to strong 

 probability. It is unlikely that so conspicuous 

 and widespread an insect as the mayfly is not 

 in the list; and, if it is, there is only one other 

 fly which it could possibly be. That is a fly 



