CHAP, v.] THE FOURTH DAY. loj 



having told you that the east wind is the worst, I need not tell 

 you which wind is the best in the third degree : and yet, as Solo- 

 mon observes, that "he that considers the wind shall never sow;" 

 so he that busies his head too much about them, if the weather be 

 not made extreme cold by an east wind, shall be a little super- 

 stitious : for as it is observed by some, that " there is no good 

 horse of a bad colour ; " so I have observed, that if it be a cloudy 

 day, and not extreme cold, let the wind sit in what corner it will 

 and do its worst, I heed it not. And yet take this for a rule, that 

 I would willingly fish, standing on the lee-shore : and you are to 

 take notice, that the fish lies or swims nearer the bottom, and in 

 deeper water, in winter than in summer ; and also nearer the 

 bottom in any cold day, and then gets nearest the lee-sido of the 

 water. 



But I promised to tell you more of the fly-fishing for a Trout ; 

 which I may have time enough to do, for you see it rains May 

 butter. First for a May-fly : you may make his body with 

 greenish-coloured crewel, or willowish colour ; darkening it in 

 most places with waxed silk ; or ribbed with black hair ; or, some 

 of them, ribbed with silver thread; and such wings, for the colour, 

 as you see the fly to have at that season, nay, at that very day on 

 the water. Or you may make the Oak-fly : with an orange, tawny, 

 and black ground ; and the brown of a mallard's feather for the 

 wings.* And you are to know, that these 

 flies, that is, the May-fly and the Oak-fly. 



And let me again tell you, that you keep as far from the water 

 as you can possibly, whether you fish with a fly or worm ; and 

 fish down the stream. And when you fish with a fly, if it be 

 possible, let no part of your line touch the water,t but your fly 

 only ; and be still moving your fly upon the water, or casting it into 

 the water, you yourself being also always moving down the stream. 



Mr Barker commends \ several sorts of the palmer-flies ; not 

 only those ribbed with silver and gold, but oth.ers that have their 



* Some dub the Oak-fly, with black wool, and Isabella-coloured mohair, and bright 

 brownish bear's hair, warped on with yellow i^ilk, but the hesd of an ash colour ; 

 others dub it with an orange, tawny, and black ground ; others with blackish wool and 

 gold-twist; the wings of the brown of a mallard's feather. Bowiker, in his Art o/ 

 Anglmg, p. 63, says. "The body may be made of a biitern's feather, and the wings of 

 the feather of a woodcock's wing." — H. 



t This is impossible, unless you dib with the artificial as with the natural fly, which is 

 never practised. 



t A brother of the angle must always be sped 

 With three black palmers, and also two red : 

 And all made with hackles. In a cloudy day. 

 Or in windy weather, angle you may : 



