54 LIST OF FLIES. 
the heads contrary way ; thrown lightly on the water and 
left to the motion of the current. On fine calm hatching 
days artificials have little or no chance, but may succeed on 
breezy days and stirring waters. 
On a sunny afternoon early in June, I was sitting by the 
side of the millrace just below Bishopton mill, enjoying a 
light luncheon. To please my children, who had brought 
it, I told them to catch me one of those flies, and I would 
catch them a trout—for the green drakes were hatching 
freely, and alighting on the grass around us. My rod was 
at hand, I put on a fly and dropped it on the dark water, 
amidst the silvery foam flakes which marked the main track 
of the current. It had scarce sailed a yard when it was 
chucked down, and I hove out a trout; in a few minutes 
and in a few yards space I took out four, from half a pound 
to a pound each. My time being spent, and wanting no 
more, I was winding up, when an old craftsman (who had 
toiled through a fishless day) dropped upon us, and seeing 
the four trout alive and jumping in his path, stood amazed, 
and asked what I had taken them with, I answered, the 
green drake, but did not add the important point, it was 
alive. Next afternoon (which was sunny and the drakes 
hatching) I saw the old craftsman, the late Miles Shepherd, 
whipping up the mill-race with his usual small fly dexterity, 
and met him on the spot I had killed the four: “ What 
sport, Mr. Shepherd.” “Sport, M 1, why no sport at 
all; I went to Jackey Stubbs, and he dressed me a green 
drake, and they wont touch it—I reckon ‘nowt’ of your 
green drakes ;” and making no stop, away walked the dis- 
appointed angler ; and, I believe, never troubled the fishery 
more with the green drake. 
John Stubbs’s imitations were bad to equal; and Miles 
Shepherd was the most successful small flyfisher in all the 
neighbourhood. In April and May he frequently brought 
home, from the Laver, his pannier full of trout, some a 
