THE EIELD 
389 
model yacht club. 
nflxt General meeting will bo held at Anderton s 
a T A e lG f Fleet-street, on Tuesday, May 2nd, at half-past 
Hotel, 104 , at eight o’clock precisely. 
“^Cfclowln'gentteM" will be balloted fort-Mr. 
1 Iiliin Webster” Mr. J. T. Ceely, Mr. Samuel Hodgson, 
Purry Mr. T. II. Wilson, Mr. Robert Soutar, 
"'•"J 6 Mr. Robert Harrison. Mr. John 
j un ” „ Mr 'Francis Best, Mr. William Rule, Mr. Edward 
JTS Mr Frederick Ayckbourn, Mr. James Joyce Swift, 
lit Fvelyn Venables, Mr. William Watkins, Major Thomas 
JJ r ;, , ' vf.. Alfred Bennett, Mr. Mathew Eltham, Mr. John 
nnwson Mr. John McCann, Mr. Frank Clemow, Mr. John 
nnwc Captain Jackson, R.N., Mr. Edwin Weedon, Mi. 
Lee, Mr. John Tatton, Mr. Frederick Kenney, Mi. 
flS Spencer, and Mr. R. Daniel. The first match of 
£ season will take place on Friday, May oth. First class, 
five tons and under, to start from Greenwich Hospital at 
fan a m The night of entry, Tuesday, May 2nd, at 
itdarton’s. The club yachts will start on the opening trip 
nf the season at four o’clock p.m. precisely, to-day (Satar- 
a nr il 29th), when the Commodore hoists his flag on 
£d the Blue-Eyed Maid (off the Royal Hospital), 
^Yacht Excursion to Nova Scotia. The following 
paragraph is copied from the Boston International Journal 
|i r L h=th ult. “ We understand that a club is now 
forming, or is already organised, for the purpose of making 
nn excursion to all the principal seaport towns in Nova 
Scotia and Prince Edward Island during the coming sum- 
mer in one of the most beautiful clipper yachts that now 
craces our waters. The saloon of tho yacht selected for 
the occasion has, wo understand, spacious and elegant ac- 
commodations for thirty persons. She will bo commanded 
bv an experienced sailing master. The club consists of only 
six or eight persons, but they are prepared to carry ten or 
fifteen additional, on the whole or part of the excursion. 
Our eastern friends must hold themselves in readiness to 
enjoy a little fast sailing, cod-tog, and pic-nicking while 
she is on their waters. We understand that the yacht is to be 
chartered for a six weeks’ cruise, in order to allow the mem- 
bers of the club, and those who may join with them, to pass 
a few weeks at home. 
Thu First of the Royal Yacht Squadron for 
the Baltic.— The first of the Royal Yacht Squadron for 
a cruise in the Baltic is tho Shark, schooner, William 
Curling, Esq. She has arrived at Ramsgate, and will be 
off in a few days. Other yachts, we hoar, will follow. 
Schooner Yacht Novice.— This vessel has recently 
visited Harwich and Erlth, and is about to cruise in the 
Channel and North Sea. But that letters of marque have 
not been yet issued by tho Government, the owner of the 
Novice would he just tho man to nob one of the Russian 
Indiamen now in the chops of the channel, under, it is said, 
false colours. _ _ _ 
large quantities by some of my acquaintance. I must say, 
however, that we have had such bad weather here almost 
ever siuce I last heard from >ou— snow — and since that 
week constant rain, that I have not had a gun in my hand 
for a month ; and, in short, the only shooting I have heard 
of, is the wild-fowl from the huge guns on swivels, in the 
boats belonging to one or two fellows here that I know — 
Cuptain and a Mr They told mo they got 
* We shall feel obliged by the Secretaries of “Rowing 
others, forwarding their appointments of Matches or notices of 
Meetings to come, 'at their early convenience. 
MATCHES APPOINTED. 
May 29th.— Match between Turner and Pocock, from Tutney to 
— Four-oar Match at Manchester, between “Pilots” and 
“ Goldflnders.” £15 a side. „ „ , _ .. 
Aug. 7tli, 8th, and 9th.— Manchester and Salford Regatta. 
July 24th and 25th.— Great North of England Regatta. 
OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE ROWING. 
Sir— I am sure your impartiality will lead yon to insert 
the letter of “ University-Oar” which appeared in Friday’s 
Times. It sets at rest the question about the race in ’43 
between “ Oxford ” and “ the Cambridge Subsenption- 
rooms.” The whole controversy has sprung out of a letter 
in the Times of April 12th, signed “ Remex.” The writer 
professed to correct a statement in the Times which is per- 
fectly true, that there have been eleven matches at London 
between the Universities, of which Cambridge has won 
seven, and Oxford four. “Remex” gives a list m which 
me the following specimens of inaccuracy and unfairness. 
The race of ’36 (won by Cambridge) is placed at Henley, 
instead of at London; Oxford is said to have won a race at 
Henley in ’37 — no such race was rowed-, a victory for 
Oxford over “ the Cambridge Subscription-rooms ” in ’43 is 
put down as a victory over Cambridge University; the 
Henley race of '44, instead of being won by Oxford off 
Cambridge, was won by a Cambridge College crew against 
an Oxford Club ; the race of ’45 at Henley (won by Cam- 
bridge) is altogether left out. 
I should like to have seen a contradiction of these state- 
ments in the Times, but as your journal is so extensively 
read by Oxford and Cambridge men, my object will be 
sufficiently answered by your insertion of the above in 
your next. Yours faithfully, B. A. (Cantab.) 
[Wc had inserted, at page 365, letters on the above sub- 
ject, and if wc have, in the hurry of business, omitted any 
that ought to appear, so that both sides may bo fairly heard, 
our columns are still open to all. — E d.] 
Nelecs Club. — The members of the Neleus Chib will 
row a four-oared match from Putney Bridge to the Queen s 
Head, Mortfnke, on Monday, May 29. 
I - 
TO THE HAMPSHIRE FLY-FISHER. 
My Dear You will by this time have set mo 
down as a good-for-nothing fellow, at best, for my not 
having responded to your request when you last wrote to 
me, or even writing you a line to explain why I did not 
try and send you a specimen of the “ feathered tribe,” in 
the way of snipe, cock, or widgeon, that I informed you 
of having been found in such abundance, and shot in such 
— uuu a * • - • - - "-j c 
54 brace of widgeon, aud 29 brace of coots — two days 
shooting at Ladies' Island, about ten miles from \V exford. 
They both have often asked me to go out in their shooting 
boats— flat bottomed — and only two or three inches over tho 
surface of the water, with two men, and tho gun pointed 
out of the bow. But, my doar , I am too old to risk 
a swim for my life, in case of an upsot of the cruft ; so 1 
thanked my friends, and declined the pleasure of seeing the 
havoc they made at one blast, when they get at n good flock . 
of these birds on the water. I have seen from our club window | 
boro in Wexford, where there is a very good glass fur our use, 
coming in from sea, and on what is termed “ tlio Slabland, 
where barnacle and wild duck of every description, plover, 
curlew, &c., feed and collect, thousands and lens of thousands, 
day after day, during this 6ea9on of tho year ; and when a 
shot is got at such a flock with one of their boat long guns, 
that will rake them at the distance of 300 or 400 yards ; 
they say tho “flapping and screeching of the wounded 
and winged on the green” is something wonderful— in some 
instances amounting to hundreds of different birds of these 
wild-fowl, when they chance to he in the lino of the gun 
when fired. It is straugo, however, one always observes, 
(as if to verify tho old and true saying, that “ birds of a 
feather flock together),” these different flocks of birds 
with a space between them ou the feeding ground, and 
if a strange tribe happens to get near one of the oilier, you 
see a rush at each other, and witness a fight which is not u 
little amusing. Come and see it ! and alter you have, you 
will huve facts to see and hear, to euablo you to make out 
as true and amusing an article for “The Field” ns that 
of the “ Hampshire Fisherman.” By the way, that in the 
number of the 21st inst. brought to my recollection a fuel 
that I witnessed more than once, when quartered ut Halifax. 
Tho Sackvillo liver, at the head of the beautiful basin, is well 
known to ull who have ever been at Halifax, Nova Scotia, 
as a fir 9 t-rale salmon and salmon-trout river ; ^ but 
here the fish were reported to be at times “sulky,” or 
rather capricious. The first time I visited this very flue river 
was with a friend and brother officer, whom 1 was very sorry 
to miss as a companion in my piscatorial excursions on my 
return to this country, as he used to be when we were together 
in that very best quarter of the globe for fishing. Well, to 
give you a hint of the fact that reminded me of the Sackville : 
There was a notoriously “lucky” fisherman, as he wus 
called by all wbo knew him. He was a discharged soldier 
from the 52nd regiment, or 43rd, I forget which ; but I met 
him coming down the river in question tho first duy 1 
visited it, and he had no loss than four salmon that weighed 
as much as he wus well able to carry, “ killed,” he said, 
“ with the fly, sir, up the river.” My next question was— 
“ Do, like a good fellow, lot me see your fly ?” “ Oh, sir, 
I lost it,” was the lie I afterwards found out this old soldier 
told me. I at once showed him my flies, with one of which 
I had hooked two fine fish previously to our meeting. By 
the by, I lost one and killed tho other — 14 lbs. Well, the 
old soldier said to me, “ Your flies are very beautiful, See . ; 
they are all good, aud any one of them would surely make 
a ‘ whopper ’ rise;”, when I answerod, “ Now 1 see you are 
humbugging, old fellow.” I bad, indeed, tried the 
most likely over tlie fish I afterwards hooked, and 
which, rising at something naturul goiug down tho water, 
the devil a move would he make at iny fly. At last 1 got a 
glimpso at a little natural something going down, aud 
when it got over one of the fish. Bang he went at it 
and I thou saw that this was the “dainty grub” the follow 
was feeding on, or takiDg as his “purge” after feeding. 
I was confirmed in my idea by seeing another flout down, 
and again saw the “ varmint” take it. At last I hit on a small 
drop fly, as near like it as I could guess, and dropped it, tiller 
wetting it, near tho shelving rock, where my lad was. Up 
he came, and down he weut with my little tit bait gulped. 
My friend, who was sitting on the rocks looking on [poor 
fellow, he has gone since to a better world, I trust], saw the 
lad tumble at my fly ; I just cried out, “ Here we have hit 
him at last 1” 1 then 6truck him, and found I was well into 
him ; he went straight down to the bottom, os it were to 
consider what’s to be done, and there stood still lor a 
couple of seconds. In fact, I bad time to say to my friend, 
“ Look out ! get out of the way ! I am into him ! ho 11 bo ott 
in a second 1” and no sooner said than off he went, making 
my reel go round like the wind, aud my rod, with tho butt 
against iny thigh, butting tho lud. Giving three springs 
out of the water, alter his first durt, he rushed 30 or 40 yards . 
up the stream, generally, or where practicable, in an oblique 
direction across the river. This, you know, is commonly the 
case, and it is idle of me to “ bother ” you with what you I 
know bettor than your stupid scribe, who fancies himself on 
the river watching for a rise, when now writing ou the sub- 
ject to his old friend. What do you think f Another day 
I offered the Sackville old soldier and fisherman five dollars 
if ho would show me what he killed the salmon with. 
“ The devil a bit would lie.” From an after report ot 
others to mo, I suspect lie caught all his fish with shrimps, 
put on the hook the same as you would a worm. I have 
never tried it myself, but 1 have no doubt ol its irresistible 
qualities, from what I was told by a real good Scotch fisher- 
man. I never liked anything but the fly artificial. By tho 
by, some of your friends in “The Field,” if I remember 
right, were tho other duy asking about Irish salmon flies. 
I send you the following, which I proved to bo good, 
especially in Galway : — 
TEE BEST PLIB8 I FOUND FOn GALWAY. 
1. Fly : black, and orange silk, black ot tail, orange in centre, 
and bluck under wings ; black cock’s hackle over, and a joy a 
under wing, gold twist; tog, o few strauda ot brown liiuUurd, 
and breast leather, golden pheasant mixed; wing, sumo us 
or, perhaps, bettor, with tho Btronds of brown mallard, a lew 
struuds of green parrot mixed (tho bright green). Another go 
wing: brown mallard, with strands of the guinea-fowl, specitie 
feather, and two macaw strands, from toil feather, tor teeien, 
from tho back of tho head ; the macaw with bright yellow ot uio 
under side — tho tail strand. 
mallard and golden breast feather, strands mixed, ami feelers, 
two of the maeasv, at the head. 
3. Body u littlo black, ostrich at tail or tag, which is to bo a few 
strands of tho breast feather, golden pheasant, and a few guinea - 
hen or green parrot mixed; tho hackle ovor pink floss, silk body, 
ribbed with gold twist; hackle, jay’s wing feather, tho wing 
same as the tag, but some brown mallard strands und green 
parrot, two or three in the wing; or, perhaps, only golden 
phoasant, strands, and brown mallard would answer belter, tho 
wing light, with feelers. 
Galway and Bnllina aro both rivers most desirablo for tho 
lovors of this Hue and exoiting amusement, and tho ikes that one 
finds best in both aro mostly made — the bodies, lloss silks, ribbed 
with gold twist; black cock’s buckle, ami tho jays under the 
wing, in most cases near to tho head. 
4. Tho following 1 havo always found to bc|u first-mio 
killer; black head, ostrich; body, black, orange, black ; Zebra 
fly cull it, or Chequer fly, if you like to give it a mono of your 
own; tho tag and wing brown mallard, and greon strands of 
parrot mixed, or brown mallard strands of golden breast feather 
, mixed ; always two feelers from tho head of the macaw feather. 
I Ono such as this lly with silver twist, 1 see by my memorandum 
when tliorc, is a capital lly nt all times. 
ANOTUBU GOOD ONE. 
5. Pur plo silk, gold twist, blue-dyed hacklo ; mallard, peacock, 
and greon parrot, strandB mixed for wing ; tag same. 
ANOTHER. 
G. Crimson silk body, black hncklo, black head (ostrich), gold 
ribbed, jay under wing; wing, peacock, mallard, and golden 
pheasant mixed; a littlo orange near tag; tug, brown mullunl 
and somo strands of tho white cockatoo's top knot mixed. By 
the way, 1 found u strand or two of the yellow top knot nt ull 
times good for the mixture in tho tag of the salmon Hies. 
7. Blue hackle, that is to say, the white cock’s hncklo, dyed blue, 
over purple silk body, with gold or silver twist — a capital killer ; 
wing, brown mallard, peacock, and a littlo greon parrot— always 
good ; in wing and tag, a fow strands only of enoh mixed ; light 
wing best. 
ANOTHER. — MAllK. 
8. PurpliB silk body, silver twist; black lineklo, and jays; 
wing, brown mallard, parrot, and breast feather mixed ; feelers, 
macaw always good ; blnok head, ostrich. 
ANOTHER. 
9. Orange body, silk, tipped nt tug; black ostrich, silver twist ; 
hackle, bluck, and jay, or grouse; wing, mallard, parrot, and 
pheasant mixed; tag or toil, somo, or topin. 
ANOTHER 0001) WINO FOR TnBSK IUVKltS FOR MOST VUES. 
Try, mixed, brown innllnrd, guinea-fowl, and parrot. Not 
too heavy a wing : I never found it answer in any salmon lly. 
A WORD TO THE WI8B. 
If you aro caught at your salmon river in very dry and sun- 
shiny weather, bo out at tho head of the stream, or where you 
know there is a salmon stand, at tho poop of day, anil 1 would 
beta “ Jew’s eye” you will bo “into -a whopper ’ before sun- 
rise; at all events, I always found this tho fact when 1 was 
quartered at Galway, when a friend asked mo “ to kill him or 
her a salmon.” 
I huve some useful remarks in my “ log-book,” that 1 lmd when 
in different places both in Ireland and America, that 1 will send 
you, if I can find tho said log-book, that you may try and make 
somo comprehensive use of my jumble in the work you have in 
hands. And now, my dear , l four you will think me a 
most ungrateful, good-for-nothing follow, in not having re- 
sponded to your request of mo oil this mnttor lone bcfoi'O now ; 
but tho truth is I could not, and havo not ns yet laid my hand 
on tho book in which somo of my most useful information is 
noted. You shall, however, have it; and, in tho meantime, I .am, 
my dear friend, always yours, VV. T. H. 
Wo x ford, 1854. 
ANOTDEn CAPITAL FLY. 
2. Orange floss silk ; black ostrich, rolled three or four times 
at the tail, or log, after the gold twist shows at the very end, of 
which your fly is ribbed ; strands of golden breast feather, and 
brown mallard, for tag, or golden top knot ; hackle, either grouso 
or tho bright feather under the wing on tho breast of the cornmou 
pheasant; bluck head, snmo os the tag; your wing brown 
MAY. 
“ Drakes In their swindling* tempt the trout by day, 
And In the evenlngs'ln new dresses play, 
llrowns, beetles, spinners during day come on— 
Duns, moths, and tho empress utter day Is done, 
Tribes ot busy house tiles, and nameless numbers bound 
Rank In die woods the grass, tho air, the ground, 
And numbers unconscious on treacherous waters lii;ht, 
When struggling on Its surface tempt the llsli to bite. 
Through tills gny month tho Empress feeds the trout, 
Join'd by the tinny, ere the month tie out. 
Of all tho viands tilts rich season brings— 
These the trout's choice— whence his perfection springs, 
Rich his gildings— his spotted side expands, 
But dire's their havoc when in true angler's hands. 
List or Natural Flies, «c. 
Tho month of May brings flies to the fish as numerous as 
flowers to the bees. Tho bees havo their favourite flowors, 
and the fish their favourite flies. Tho aquotic tribes of Hies 
furnish the fish with their greatest favourites und most 
regular supplies. The browns, or those flics of the stonc-lly 
shape, viz., the red brown, landrail and orange; the needle 
brown, eockpheasants neck and orange; the light brown, 
outside of woodcock and orange ; and tho Royal Charlio, 
brown grey from tho side of tho breast of tho partridge ami 
orange. Tho drakes, or the flics that are of the shape of tho 
green drake, viz., the blue drake (blue dm.) starling ami 
orange, tinged with fox cub ; brown drake (March brown), 
under wing of hen pheasant and yellow with hare’s car ; 
I cheekwing, partridge brown and yellow with hare’s car ; und 
dark drake (watcher), water hen aud orange, with or with- 
out mole or water-rat. Duns, or those flies of the shape 
of the rod dun, viz., the light dun, landrail and pulo yellow 
leg with pale yellow brown hen hackles ; the freckled dun, 
moorcock and orange. These aro the leading favourites of 
trout, and form a part of their daily food ; they aro well 
tuken by grayling and smelt. The creopers of each ot their 
species now split open their skinny coverings which protected 
them, and let loose their flies upon the waters, to the view 
of the fishes. Their imitation dressed on lino strong him, u- 
quiros to bo correct as to shape and size. 1 ho clear spark- 
ling wings of the drakes, after casting, aro best imitated 
with cockhackleB. 
The gravel spinner (spider fly) ashy silk, starling or bluo 
feather from tho crow, is a great favourite. These flics 
ubouud, more or less, in all hicks, brooks, and rivers, und 
may be fished, or such of them as are most numerous, or 
best taken, from 9 or 10 in the forenoon to 4 or 5 in the 
afternoon, the time they are hatching and on tho water. 
The most notable land-flies for the month are tho hous' -lly, 
blackbird’s feather, brimstone rolled silk, with fine black 
hair worked in. Tho hawthorne, a neutral feather, Urn 
snipe or starling, black silk, with fine black hair wrought 
in; Lion fly (cow dung), landrail with orange silk, gold 
mdlmir and squirrels fur. Tho main angling feature o tho 
month of May is the hatching of the two superior trout 
flies, tliestone-fly and the green drake, the former commencing 
from the beginning to the 8th, and the latter from the 10 tli 
to the end. Tho stone-fly hatchesm the warm part of tho day 
at the edge of the streams, and immedia ely runs to covet, 
when the trout has no chance until she come on the 
waters of her own accord, which is mostly in dnik days, 
but generally at even and early morn. Iho creepers of 
the green drake rise to tho surface In the midday sun, when 
they* split open theirskins and let out their flics as they float 
on thewater. Both these flies aro in gouorul fished natural 
when ou the water ; they fill the croiUinan s pannier with 
