THE TROUT. 143 



nary fly fisherman would generally meet with a fair share 

 of success if he limited himself to the very meagre supply 

 Mr. Pennell would allow him, or even the slightly-enlarged 

 list of Mr. Stewart. Mr. Francis Francis has, in my 

 opinion, hit the happy mean. The young angler cannot 

 do better than thoroughly study that part of Mr. Francis' 

 book relative to flies and fly-fishing. I see in some of the 

 London tackle-shops fly-books containing the thirty-two 

 varieties of flies recommended by him, with the name of 

 the fly opposite its compartment, and a few remarks on 

 it, the flies also running consecutively according to their 

 months. 



As a rule the old acknowledged flies, such as the 

 palmers, the duns, the spinners, the February red, the 

 March brown, the alder, the stone, the sand fly, and others, 

 with the names of which the young fly -fisherman soon be- 

 comes familiar, will kill, if anything in the way of a fly will. 

 The list of flies given by Walton's collator ateur, Cotton, will 

 be found to comprise most of the best killers of the present 

 day. 



At the same time " fancy" flies are not to be neglected. 

 They will often do execution when the orthodox flies fail. 

 Nor, again, are "local" flies, as I may call them, to be 

 despised. Though you may have taken to your fishing- 

 ground a very cloud of insects in your well-stocked book, 

 tied by some of the best hands in London, and " warranted 

 to kill" in all waters and under any circumstances, do not 

 despise local knowledge and practice. Eather seek out 

 some enthusiastic brother fly-fisher in the neighbourhood ; 

 and as there is a kind of freemasonry among the angling 

 craft he will give you a hint or two worth having — the 

 local doctor, or the parson, or some less reputable character, 



