288 
THE PISHING GAZETTE 
[April 1, 1893 
DRESSINGS OF THE BLUE DUN. 
Dear Sir, —Yal Conson, in his characteristi¬ 
cally interesting account of our old friend the 
Blue Dun, contained in your issue of to-day, says, 
“it is somewhat difficult to make out which of 
Mr. Pritt’s patterns represent the Blue Dun, 
unless it be the Snipe Bloa.” In the absence of 
any angling books (Pritt’s or other) to which to 
refer, and with all due deference to so dis¬ 
tinguished an authority, the “ Waterhen Bloa ’’ of 
Pritt’s “North Country Trout Flies ’’ represents, 
unless my memory fails me, the fly in question. 
The body may be dressed variously; peacock’s 
quill, stripped and dyei yellow, is as good as any¬ 
thing. The Snipe Bloa (known here as Light 
Snipe and Yellow) is, I fancy, the “ Bloa 
Brown ’’ of Jackson, and a fly of a different 
class. A first-rate killer (also taken, I believe 
for the Blue Dun) in the spring and autumn 
I dress thus: Body, green silk; legs and 
wings hackled with outside wing feather from 
blue hawk (merlin), old cock bird for preference. 
—1 am, dear Sir, yours faithfully, 
R. E. Ricketts, M.A. 
Middleton Rectory, Beverley, March 25, 1893. 
PROYINCIAL ANGLING ASSOCIATION. 
A REPLY TO YOUR LANCASHIRE CORRESPONDENT. 
Dear Sir, —I noticed a paragraph under the 
heading of Notes from Lancashire, in a recent 
issue, which contained certain matters which 
may be calculated to mislead a few of the associa¬ 
tions in the north that are desirous of obtaining 
the privilege to travel at the reducedfare through 
the agency of the Provincial Angling Association. 
In the first place your correspondent sajs 
that “ We must go to Birmingham for a travelling 
card when we go for a teapot.’’ This is very 
good, and I suppose that the northern people are 
like the rest of the people, they always go to the 
cheapest market for their goods, and if the tea¬ 
pot is satisfactory, why not have the travelling 
card from the same place, without sending to 
Ijondori for it, and fareing worse. I am sorry to 
see your correspondent so prejudiced against the 
Provincial Association. I don’t know why he 
should be so inclined, as this is not the first 
occasion upon which he has showed his disfavour 
towards us. 1, for mj own part, don’t see what 
objection any association can have to join us— 
without it is that they consider that we ought to 
obtainthem the privilege, and give them the travel- 
ling cards, &c., in, for nothing. With respect to 
the costs of joining our aisociation, I may be per¬ 
mitted to state that the Warrington Association, 
whicU has lately joined us, will receive the 
privilege to travel at the reduced fares on the 
(i.W.R., L. and N.Y'., and Cambrian railways, for 
the sum of about i'3. For thissumthey will be sup¬ 
plied with travelling cards, rules, &c.,free, and the 
association will not be called upon to contribute 
anything further until next September, when 
they win be asked to pay the sum of twopence 
'IKr mnnher; all travelling cirds in future years 
will be issued free, and the only future ca Is to bo 
made upon them will be for their subscriptn n, 
which is fourpence per annum. Y’hatevei may 
be the costs of joining our association, let me 
irnpre.«s one thing on the minds of our northern 
friends, and tha,t is this, that the committee are 
open to treat with any association that is willing 
to join us, and the terms will be made so that it 
will be within the reach of all to become affiliated 
with us that care to. The cost per member will 
be but small, and the first journey made with 
the privileged ticket will effect a saving that will 
more than repay the member for his outlay to the 
association for twelve months. 
Your corre.<-pondent, in order to complete his 
small list of misstatements, says that we fritter 
away the a.“sociation money in paying our dele¬ 
gates ; this is wrong, as it is only the movable 
committee that receive any pay, and this is only 
their railway fares, and a small tiifle to cover 
their expens-cs, an account of which is printed 
together with the business done at each meeting, 
and circulated throughout the association. 
1 hope that the associations in the north will 
not allow certain persons to jirejudice them 
against the Provincial Association, and that our 
northern friends will not lake any notice of the 
meanness of persons who advocate keeping their 
money in their poekets rather than jom our 
association; this is not sjiortsmanslike, it is 
selfish to the extreme, and I hope that the northern 
anglers will have a better opinion of us than your 
Lancashire correspondent, and if possible join us 
so that we may with our united actions, not only 
be in a position to command the railway com¬ 
panies, but make the pursuits of angling be 
wmrthy of the consideration of rich and poor 
alike.—Y'ours respectfully, 
Charles White, Gen. Sec, P. A. A. 
42, Tenby-street, Norih Birmingham. 
LOWER THAMES TROUT PROPAGATION 
SOCIETY'. 
Hir,—A s I have received a letter from Mr. 
Brougham, the secretary of the “ Thames Angling 
Preservation Society,’’ pointing out that the 
former title I used is likely to lead to confusion 
with his Society, I have, as you suggested, re¬ 
named the Society I represent, and hope that it 
will meet with Mr. Brougham’s approval, as I 
have no wish to tread on the toes of the Society 
he represents. There are one or two errors in the 
report I sent on March I8th ; for instance. Lower 
Thames Preservation Society, should read Lower 
Thames Trout Preservation Society, also John 
Asly should read John Ashby, and E. Blaines, Pack 
Horse Hotel, Staines, as E. Blarney. I have re¬ 
ceived this week two more subscriptions to the 
Society, and hope hy the end of the month to be 
able to purchase 1000 two-year-old trout to turn 
into the river. I hope all those interested in the 
improvement of the trout fishing in the Thames 
will give me their support, and hope to have the 
support of those clubs who fish for trout in the 
Lower Thames. I will give due notice when the 
trout will be turned into the river, so that all 
those interested will have the opportunity of 
attending, should they wish to do so. All com¬ 
munications and subscriptions will be duly ack¬ 
nowledged.— Yours truly, 
A. Burrow, Hon. Sec. 
Lower Thames Trout Propagation Society, 
Colne Cottage, Staines. 
LOCH RANNOCH AND EARLY FEROX 
FISHING. 
Sir,— Those who love trolling for salmon ferox 
have, perhaps, observed that Loch Rannoch 
happens to have been fished unusually early this 
season by one or two anglers, and with results 
which I am sure have surprised even the resident 
gillies. A fortnight ago, Mr. Stewart got a 
trout of 141b. and one of smaller size ; and in to- 
daj ’s paper (Fishing Gazette) I find that two of 
8|lb. and 5pb. respectively have been taken —all 
by trolling. 
If this proves anything it proves that the 
troller for ferox should fish Loch Rannoch some 
time before the fly fishing begins. 
I presume that these big cannibal trout are at 
pretent hunting for food. The English sportsman 
seldom arrives till May, and so, from year to 
year, it has been handed down as a tradition that 
it is useless to launch the boats till then. But 
time proves all things, and four big ones have 
already fallen to the casual fisherman. 
What would have happened had some old, 
systematic troller been at work all this time, I 
cannot say, but in trolling (which I personally 
have no love for) it is particularly true that “ the 
line that is always in the water and never on the 
bank’’kills the most fish. I have not even seen 
Loch Rannoch since 1881, but I know it well. 
The river there however is my fancy, and I never 
hesitate when river and loch fishing are both to 
be had.—1 am, &c., E. M. Tod. 
March 25. 1893. 
I’-^-—I find that I had underrated the sport 
had by Mr. Stewart, who killed three large trout 
of 141b., 41b., and 31b., so that five large trout 
have already been killed in the loch, and they say 
in very fair condition too ! I may add that it is 
like killing pike—a good riddance—since they 
must need many dozens of small trout to bring 
them into condition and to keep them plump. 1 
never will believe that the “Ferox” is anything 
but a cannibal trout, and not a distinct species. 
PHEASANTRY QLTERY. 
—In reply to W. L. Cummins, Mr. T. J. C. 
Coggin, North Yiew, Chadwick-road, Peckham, 
has a “pheasantry ” for rearing the birds he men¬ 
tions.—I am, &c., GAS 
THE DRY FLY ON A LAKE. 
Dear Sir, —Having seen in your paper that the 
big trout in Lake Y^yrnwy are seen rising, but are 
not to be caught with the fly, I venture to ask 
you to let me state what sport I once enjoyei 
on a lake when the big trou'i were sippoied 
not to be caught with the fly. One year I had 
permission to fish this lake, and perhaps spent 
more time than I ought watching these few big 
fish. I observed they each had their regular beat, 
and when they were feeding on the surface, round 
and round they would go (the beat being from 
thirty to fifty yards across), swerving to the right 
and left as they saw their food. Here was a dis¬ 
appointment—what I imagined were the rises of 
five or six fish were the rises only of one; but, 
here also was my opportunity. If a fish came 
within casting distance of the shore, I crept down 
when he was on the far side of his beat, got 
everything ready, line the right length, the fly 
dry, and as he sailed towards me, cast it as near 
as I could guess where his regular beat would 
take him ; and there let it lie floating till he 
passed it or took it. 
Never shall I forget my first success. A friend 
was with me, who seeing the fish rise tried the 
wet fly, which was useless, it being a bright June 
day, and still, clear water. I had on a black gnat 
of Ogden’s, and as the lish was coming round 
again, placed it where we had seen him rise the 
fir.st time. We could see him sailing nearer and 
nearer, then right up to ii, apparently with his 
nose against its tail; “he’s at you ” shouts my 
friend, diL'ging me in the ribs to make me strike; 
but luckily it was not my first attempt with the 
dry fly, and I restrained that fatal, nervous jump, 
and after a few seconds, which seemed many 
minutes, he opened his mouth with a suck, in went 
the Ogden, and out came, in due time, the trout. 
On still summer evenings, I used to mark a ris¬ 
ing fish, take the ’ooat, and lie waiting for him, 
sometimes getting him, more often losing him, 
owing to the small flies. No doubt experience 
W'ould show that a slightly larger fly would pay 
better. I often read of lakes where big fish aie 
said to rise on still summer evenings, and long to 
try the same tactics on them, but have not the 
opportunity; but. shall be very glad if this Itt er 
is the means of giving some lover of the dry fly a 
chance of a bit of real sport on the still waters of 
a lake, and of saving some noble trout from the 
ignominious death of the rriany-hooked spinning 
tackle.—Y'ours truly, A. Parson. 
[A very interesting experience, whichmay prove 
useful to some of our readers.— Ed.] 
THE LOSSIE.—ELGIN ANGLERS. 
Sir —Anglers in Elgin, of whom there are 
hundreds, who wish to fish the Lossie in future 
must do so with the fly. Captain Dunbar 
Brander, of Pitgarvery, who, with his forbears, 
have rented the fishing in the Lossie from Lord 
Moray for the last century, says he has never 
interfered with anyone fishing fairly with fly, nor 
does he mean to interfere with any fair sport. 
But a custom of worm fishing has become very 
common, which, he says, is not sport, but mere 
pot-hunting, and requires no skill. He has seen 
half a dozen men standing shoulder to shoulder, 
each of them dangling a worm, and waiting till 
Providence sent them a fish, which he styles a 
mere game of grab, and not sport. If he finds 
in future anyone fishing with worm or bait he is 
to challenge them and call on them to show their 
authority. He says further that there is nothing 
illegal in fishing with worm, the illegality con¬ 
sisting in anyone taking the fish without the 
leave of the owner of the river. He believes 
that if^ bait-fishing is stopped there will be 
more fish, and more amusement for the fair 
fly-fishers, of which he is a keen one, but has 
never used bait on the river. This intimation 
has naturally been received with disappointment 
by many a “fair bait fisher” who cannot be 
termed a “ jiot-hunter,” but who, while fishing 
with bait, brings his skill into play, as, for 
instance, with a clear water and burning hot 
sun the skill of the angler is taxed to the utmost. 
However, I suppose anglers’ views of sport differ 
considerably, as in everj thing else. This reminds 
mo that the Captain says that he has observed 
salmon spawning in “brackish” water in the 
Lossie, a matter upon which I will not venture an 
opinion in writing to an authority such as you 
tifo- J. M., ,Spey Correspondent. 
