April 8, 1893] 
THE FISHING GAZETTE 
251 
A GRAND fish of 351b. -weight was caught on the 
29th of last month by the rod on the Cruives 
pool of the River Shin” Sutherlandshire. 
The first grilse for this year in Scotch waters 
has not yet come to the net or the rod, but daily 
it is now looked for. Sea-trout have come forward 
unusually early, and this is all the more wonderful 
in view of the extraordinary lowness of the rivers, 
arising from the long continued drought, con¬ 
tinual strong sunshine during the day, and keen 
frost overnight. These conditions have served 
to continue the kelts in the rivers, and also to keep 
them from shoaling as they do about this season 
when fresh rain first comes to raise a bit and 
freshen the water. S molts are now beginning to 
show, but as yet there is no strength of them 
moving seaward ; indeed, it is only ten days ago 
that we heard of the first which had developed 
from the parr into the smolt by donning the 
silvery (marine) dress. 
McBouncer writes :—“ This week Sir Charles 
Lockhart Ross, Bart., of Balnagown, attains his 
majority and enters into possession of one of the 
most important estates in the Highlands. The 
popularity of the young laird was amply testified 
on Tuesday, his twenty-first birthday, by the 
enthusiastic outburst of public rejoicing mani¬ 
fested all over the estate. At night the heavens 
were illuminated by fireworks and bonfires on 
various lofty eminences all over the country. 
Perhaps the most unique bonfire of all was the 
huge pile reared by the Strathcarron crofters on 
the summit of Cairnsmerst at an altitude of 
2000 feet above the sea, and visible over seven or 
eight counties, from Cape Wrath to the southern 
shores of the Moray Firth. In these days of 
Land Leaguism and other ‘ isms ’ antagonistic to 
landlordism, it is refreshing to see the crofters 
display their continued attachment to a laird who 
is the representative of an ancient house and of 
an historic name. Five centuries ago the clan 
Ross was at the zenith of its power, the then Earl 
of Ross being paramount over a large area of the 
north of Scotland, but owing to insurrection and 
other causes peculiar to those turbulent times, 
the titles were forfeited and large portions of 
their vast dominions confiscated. A good slice of 
the county of Ross, however, shill remains in the 
possession of the clan; the Balnagown estate 
alone covers over 1(35,400 acres, and is, among 
Highland properties, next in extent to that owned 
by the Duke of Argyll. Young Balnagown, who 
we understand is to be married shortly, is a 
strapping specimen of a Highlander, who wears 
the garb of Old Gaul summer and winter. He 
has already distingnished himself at stone and 
hammer throwing, and other manly exercises. 
He has quite a collection of trophies in the shape 
of cups, medals, &c., won at amateur athletic 
competitions at Oxford and elsewhere. He is 
very popular with the crofters, in whom he already 
evinces much interest, and, so far as can be fore¬ 
seen by cnrrent events. Sir Charles Ross’s popu¬ 
larity is not likely to diminish.’’ 
Spey correspondent writes further :—“ Since 
writing you the foregoing yesterday I learn that 
quite a storm of indignation has been raised in 
Rothes over the fact that on Saturday last no 
fewer than half a dozen peaceable trout anglers 
were turned off the Aikenway water by order of 
the proprietor, one of the six—a well-known local 
solicitor—having been turned off by the pro¬ 
prietor himself. The anglers wei’e told they had 
no right to be there in the meantime. It is be¬ 
lieved that this will very materially aid the 
defender’s case. _ 
“ The hatching out at the Duke of Richmond 
and Gordon’s hatchery at Fochabers proceeds 
apace, and with very gratifying results. The ova 
deposited in November last have almost all 
hatched out, and will be ready for the river about 
the middle of next month. That the tiny fish are 
in a healthy state and doina: splendidly is appa¬ 
rent from the fact that, for a week after hatching 
out, not more than one in every twenty thousand 
succumbed. There were also deposits in December 
and January. The hatchery is the largest of its 
kind in Scotland, from 400,000 to 1-50,000 ova 
having been deposited.” 
Inverness correspondent writes:—“ Loch Ness, 
owing to the dry weather of the past month, is 
two feet below normal summer level, but still an 
occasional fish is got off it. Mr. Davis was 
rather successful last week, landing three on 
Saturday, one a beauty of 271b. Besides the 
above he had an occasional fish during the week. 
Mr. Chisholm also had a few to his rod. This 
season Lord Lovat had a few applications from 
the villagers of Fort Augustus for the liberty of 
fishing for salmon on Loch Ness, and I understand 
that on payment of £5 rent a licence was granted 
on each occasion. Mr. Douglas landed a few 
nice fish last week, and Mr. Imray a small one 
on Saturday. On Monday Mrs. Davis landed a 
little fish of 8^11)., and Mr. Chisholm had another 
small one. Fishing for Lord Berkeley Paget, 
on River Garry and Loch Oich. Mr. Angus 
McDonell landed some splendid fish last w-eek, 
including a few very heavy ones. Angling on 
this water will be at a discount till we have a 
spell of wet weather.” 
GEORGE COLE BAINBRIDGE^S 
DRESSINGS OP ARTIFICIAL 
FLIES. 
{Continued from 'page 207.) 
The Little Yellow May, or Willow Fly, 
resembles the Green Drake in form, and is com¬ 
posed of nearly the same materials, but on a 
much smaller scale. The body of yellow fur 
from the martin’s neck ; or yellow worsted un¬ 
ravelled, and mixed with a very small quantity 
of the fur from the hare’s ear, so arranged that 
the yellow shall predominate as the colour of the 
belly; wings of the mallard’s feather, dyed 
yellow, or it may be made as a hackle fly, with a 
white cock’s feather, dyed of the same shade of 
yellow. This fly comes on early in May, and is 
the percursor of the Green Drake, until the 
appearance of which it may be used with success. 
A little brown fly, which appears in June and 
continues until September, is a good fly before 
sunset in a warm evening. The body of dark 
brown fur, ribbed with orange silk, and a hackle, 
of a greenish tinge, from the back of a wood¬ 
pecker or dusky-green parrot. 
There is another brown-winged fly which is 
frequently seen during the months of June, July, 
and August. The body is of dark blue fur, 
mixed with a portion of black sheep’s wool, and 
a dark cock’s hackle for legs. It is a good fly in 
still water, where it playfully skims the surface, 
somewhat in the manner of the Harry Long-legs. 
The Brown Dun. —The form of this fly re¬ 
sembles the Blue Dun, but it is rather less in size. 
The body is made of otter’s fur, mixed with 
lemon-coloured mohair ; a ginger hackle Cor legs, 
and the wings from a fieldfare. This, as well as 
all the dun flies of the same form, is a great 
favourite of the trout, and is taken principally in 
the evening, towards the approach of dusk. 
The Green Drake, or May Fly, is one of the 
most beautiful of our English insects, and is 
taken with avidity by the trout and chub, being a 
bait that they are remarkably fond of. These 
flies are to be found in the greatest plenty on 
sandy, gravelly rivulets or brooks, and also on 
some large rivers and pools; but their favourite 
haunts are most commonly the smaller streams, 
where they are to be used with the best success. 
They appear about May 20, and continue for 
nearly a month. 
The wings stand erect upon the back, and vary 
in the tints of yellow in different flies. The 
body is long, slender, and taper towards the tail, 
from the end of which spring the forked whisks, 
which, turning up towards the back, give the 
name of Green Drake to this fly. The body is 
made of hog’s down or light bear’s hair, inter¬ 
mixed with yellow mohair, or of barber’s yellow 
silk only, warped with pale floss silk, and a small 
strip of peacock’s harl for the head. A bittern s 
hackle is acknowledged to be the best imitation 
of the legs and dark stripes of the body ; and for 
the tail the long hairs of sable or fitchet are most 
appropriate. As no natural feather approaches 
the resemblance of the wings of this fly, it is 
necessary to have recourse to art for the imitation, 
which may be successfully produced by dyeing the 
spotted feathers of a mallard yellow, for which 
purpose a variety of recipes have been given. 
This fly kills extremely well at all hours of the 
day, particularly in still water. 
The Blue Blow is one of the smallest flies 
worthy the angler’s notice, nevertheless, it must 
claim his particular attention, as when the water 
is low it is an excellent killer, and when these 
insects appear in large quantities the trout are 
extremely active in devouring them. It is hardly 
possible to dress this fly upon too small a hook; the 
body should be made of any very dark blue fur, 
or of a peewit’s topping, as its appearance on the 
water exactly resembles a lump of soot; the 
wings may be made of thistle-down, or a bluish- 
white hackle. It is a summer fly, but is most 
abundant during the first fortnight in August, 
when—at about one o’clock in the day—the water 
is covered with them. 
The Black Midge is another very minute fly, 
and is dressed with brownish-black silk for_ the 
body, and a blue cock’s hackle over it. It is chiefly 
to be used as a dropper, when the water is fine, and 
is taken freely after a shower of rain, in the even¬ 
ing, during the summer months. 
The Gray Drake generally succeeds the Green 
Drake, although they are to be seen together in 
equal quantities. Its duration is about a fort¬ 
night ; and it is to be found on almost all waters, 
whether large or small, rapid or otherwise. 
It is an excellent fly for attracting large fish, 
and may be used from three o’clock in the after¬ 
noon until dusk. In form and size it resembles 
the May-fly, but in colour it is very different. 
The body 'is to be made of dirty white ostrich 
harl, or cream-coloured crewel, dressed with flesh- 
coloured silk, and ribbed with a dark grizzled 
cock’s hackle; the head to be formed of peacock’s 
harl, in the same manner as the Green Drake; 
the wings of the mottled feather of the mallard 
or mallal’d-teal, provided it be not very dark; and 
the tail of the hair of sable or fitchet’s tail. This 
fly should be thrown directly over the fish, and 
so managed, if possible, that the wings may not 
touch the water. 
The Peacock Fly comes on early in the season, 
and is an excellent fly on gloomy days through- 
out the year. The body is made of dark peacock 
harl, the wings from the feathers of the starling, 
and made to lie fiat on the back; a grizzled 
hackle for legs, to be dressed with mulberry- 
coloured silk. _ 
The Cinnamon Fly has four wings, which are 
large in proportion to the body. They should be 
dressed full, and made from the pale reddish- 
brown feathers of a hen, which approach the 
colour of cinnamon ; the body of any dark-brown 
fur, and a ginger hackle for legs. 
The S.and Fly.— This may be considered as 
one of the best flies for affording diversion which 
can possibly be selected, for it niay be used 
successfully at all hours of the day, from April to 
the end of September, and is equally alluring to 
trout and grayling. 
Whilst on the borders of Yorkshire, where, as 
well as in Cumberland and Westmoreland, the 
snipe’s wing and golden plover’s feathers, dressed 
as hackles, without dubbed bodies, are the 
favourite flies, the writer was induced by the 
recommendation of an experienced angler to try 
them. During the morning the weight and 
number of fish taken were nearly equal, say from 
three to four pounds each. Not satisfied with 
this diversion, as the fish were eagerly rising at 
something, the idea of trying the sand-fly sug¬ 
gested itself, the consequence of which expeiumeiR 
was, in a very short time, a pannier well filled with 
fine trout, amounting in weight to nearly loio, 
whilst the other party, well acquainted with the 
river, had not caught half the weight. His 
astonishment at this success was extreme, as he 
said he was ignorant of the existence of such a 
fly. Indeed, so prejudiced are the generality of 
the fishermen of these counties in favour of the 
flies made from the snipe and plover (which they 
regard as incomparable), that almost every other 
description is neglected by them. 
The wings are made from the sandy-coloured 
feather of the landrail’s wing, with a ginger 
hackle for legs ; and the bright sandy-coloured 
fur from the hare’s neck, mixed with a very 
small quantity of orange-coloured mohair for the 
bodv; or if dressed as a hackle, the feathers from 
under the throstle’s wing are nearest the colour 
of the wings of the fly. . 
The Gre.at Red Si’INNEr is to be used with 
