PLY-MAKING. 219 



can make an accurate imitation, and not, as is too 

 common in this country, produce some wretched 

 abortion for a well-known fly, and may at the same 

 time avoid the unnecessary outlay of importing 

 expensive foreign materials. 



The following list of flies is taken from Alfred 

 Ronalds's " Fly-Fisher's Entomology." This work 

 has been selected because its descriptions are imita- 

 tions of real flies, and not of traditional or conven- 

 tional nondescripts, which, although the delight of 

 professional dressers, might be safely worshipped 

 without breaking the commandment, since they are 

 not the "likeness of any thing in the heaven above, 

 nor in the earth beneath, nor in the waters under the 

 earth." 



Some alterations have been made for the purpose 

 of facilitating the reader in his choice of materials, 

 and the feathers indicated are, in most cases, those 

 of our ownbii'ds, which may be easily procured, and 

 are quite as suitable as the foreign ones given by 

 Ronalds. Mohair is the best material for the bodies 

 of trout-flies, and though others are sometimes 

 named as being an easier method, the experienced 

 amateur wiU prefer mohair, with which he will pro- 

 duce the same effect, without any of the objections 

 to which aU other materials are liable; and by a judi- 

 cious mixture, any shade of color may be obtained. 



Ronalds's work being descriptive of English flies 

 only, it has been deemed advisable to substitute 

 their American prototypes in all cases where they 

 are known ; and although the trout are not perhaf>3 



