I02 THE DRY-FLY MAN'S HANDBOOK 



terms of my lease a dies non. On the evening of the 

 13th the female did not seem to tempt the rising 

 trout, but on putting up the male he killed in 

 rapid succession three perfect specimens of true 

 Test trout, weighing respectively 3 lb. 4 oz., 3 lb. 

 and 3 lb. 



On rivers where there is no mayfly the Welshman's 

 button is the most killing in 

 June. the first part of June. Through- 



out this and the next months 

 the iron-blue or pale watery is the best of the 

 patterns of duns, the female olive, iron-blue and pale 

 watery spinners of the imagines, and the two sexes of 

 black gnat for smutting fish. Of the old standards 

 flight's fancy, pale watery duns, pale olive quills, hackle 

 red spinners or detached badger are the most likely 

 patterns for fish taking the small Ephemeridae, and 

 the various patterns of curses, black gnats, and fancy 

 patterns recommended for May are the best for 

 smutting fish. 



The old school of dry-fly men were strongly in 



favour of the alder during the 



Alder. early part of June, but the 



majority of them are by now 

 convinced that my contention in reference to this 

 insect is correct. The study of its life history shows 

 that at no time during its brief career in the winged 

 state is it voluntarily on the water, and prolonged 

 observation has proved that the flies struggling on 

 the water which were taken to be alders were, in the 



