186 TROUT FISHING 



theory that artificial flies should float? 

 Well, I obeyed the judicial impulse ; and, 

 after diligent search, I came upon relevant 

 evidence which was surprising. The 

 passages presenting it were these : — 



"No doubt the SalmonidEe in rivers 

 "will at times take, and take freely, 

 " winged flies on the surface ; but, besides 

 "minnows and other small fish, Crus- 

 "taceans and Molluscs, their staple food 

 " consists of Caddis or larvae of Trichop- 

 "tera, and the larvse of Ephemeridge, 

 "Perlidse, Sialidse, Diptera, and many 

 " other land and water-bred insects. 



"As one of the few fishermen who 

 "have for many years consistently 

 "studied the food of the trout and 

 "grayling by the only available and prac- 

 "tical means, i.e. autopsy, may I be 

 " allowed to tender my evidence ? I have 

 "invariably found that the undigested 

 "insect food has consisted of masses of 

 " larvae and nymphs, with a few occasional 

 " specimens of the winged insects. This 

 "has been the universal result, whether 



