the shank of the hook; and then view the proportion; and if all be neat, and to your liking, fasten.

I confess, no direction can be given to make a man of a dull capacity able to make a fly well and yet I know this, with a little practice, will help an ingenious angler in a good degree. But to see a fly made by an artist in that kind,' is the best teaching to make it. And, then, an ingenious angler may walk by the river, and mark what flies fall on the water that day; and catch one of them, if he sees the Trouts leap at a fly of that kind: and then having always hooks ready-hung with him, and having a bag also always with him, with bear's hair, or the hair of a brown or sad-coloured heifer, hackles of a cock or capon, several coloured silk and crewel to make the body of the fly, the feathers of a drake's head, black or brown sheep's wool, or hog's wool, or hair, thread of gold and of silver; silk of several colours, especially sad-coloured, to make the fly's head and there be also other coloured feathers, both of little birds and of speckled fowl:

VARIATION.] 1 by another.-1st edit.

I

The Author not having particularly enumerated the Materials necessary for Flymaking, it will not be improper to do it here. For Dubbing, you must be provided with bear's hair of divers colours; as grey, dun, light and dark coloured, bright brown and that which shines; also camel's hair, dark, light, and of a colour between both: badger's hair, or fur: spaniel's hair from behind the ear, light and dark brown, blackish, and black: hog's down, plucked from under the throat, and other soft places, and of these colours, black, red, whitish, and sandy; other colours you may get dyed at a dyer's: seal's fur is to be had at the trunkmaker's; get this also dyed of the colours of cow's and calf's hair, in all the different shades, from light to the darkest brown; you will then never need cow's or calf's hair, both which are harsh, and will never work kindly, nor lie handsomely: get also mohairs, black, blue, purple, white, violet, yellow, and orange camlets, both hair and worsted, blue, yellow, dun, light and dark brown, red, violet, purple, black, horse-flesh, pink, and orange colours. Some recommend the hair of abortive colts and calves; but seal's fur, dyed as above, is much better.

Turkey carpet will furnish excellent dubbing: untwist the yarn, and pick out the wool, separating the different colours.

Some use for dubbing, barge-sail; but these sails are made of sheep's wool, which soaks in the water, and soon becomes very heavy: however, get of this as many different shades as you can: and have seal's fur and hog-wool dyed to match them; which, being more turgid, stiff, and light, are in most cases to be preferred to worsted, crewels, and other kinds of wool; hog-wool is best for large, and seal's fur for small flies.

Get also furs of the squirrel, particularly from his tail; fox-cub, from the tail where it is downy and of an ash-colour; an old fox; an old otter; otter-cub; badger; fulimart or filmert; from the neck of a hare where it is of the colour of withered fern; and, above all, the yellow fur of the martern, from off the gills or spots under the jaws. These, and almost every other kind of fur, are got at the farrier's.

Hackles, the long slender feathers on the neck and near the tail of a cock, are very useful in fly-making; be careful that they are not too rank, which they are when the fibres are more than half an inch long; be provided with these of the following coloursred, dun, yellowish, white, orange, and black; and whenever you meet with a cock of the game breed, whose hackles are of a strong brown-red, never fail to procure some: but, observe that the feathers of a cock chicken, and of the Bantam cock are too downy and weak to stand erect after they are once wet.

Feathers are absolutely necessary for the wings and other parts of flies: get therefore feathers from the wild mallard, or drake; from the partridge, especially those red ones in the tail; from a cock-pheasant's breast and tail; from the wings of a blackbird, a brown hen, a starling, a jay, a landrail, a throstle, a field-fare, and a water coot; from

say, having those with him in a bag,* and trying to make a fly, though he miss at first, yet shall he at last hit it better, even to such a perfection as none can well teach him. And if he hit to make his fly right, and have the luck to hit, also, where there is store of Trouts, a dark day, and a right wind, he will catch such store of them as will encourage him to grow more and more in love with the art of fly-making.

VENATOR. But, my loving master, if any wind will not serve, then I wish I were in Lapland, to buy a good wind of one of the honest witches that sell so many winds there, and so cheap.

PISCATOR. Marry, scholar, but I would not be there, nor indeed from under this tree; for look how it begins to rain, and by the clouds, if I mistake not, we shall presently have a smoking shower, and therefore sit close; this sycamore-tree will shelter us and I will tell you, as they shall come into my mind, more observations of fly-fishing for a Trout.

But first for the wind: you are to take notice that of the winds the south wind is said to be best. One observes, that

When the wind is south,

It blows your bait into a fish's mouth.

Next to that, the west wind is believed to be the best: and

the crown of the pewit, plover or lapwing; green and copper-coloured peacock's, and black ostrich, herle; also from a heron's neck and wings. And remember that, in most instances, where the drake's or wild mallard's feather is hereafter in the text directed, that from a starling's wing will do much better, as being of a finer grain, and less spongy.

Be provided with marking-silk of all colours; fine, but very strong flaw-silk; gold and silver flatted wire, or twist; a sharp knife; hooks of all sizes; hog's bristles for loops to your flies; shoemaker's wax; a large needle to raise your dubbing, when flatted with working; and a small, but sharp pair of scissors.

Remember, with all your dubbing to mix bear's hair and hog's wool, which are stiff, and not apt to imbibe the water, as fine furs and most other kinds of dubbing do; remember also, that martern's fur is the best yellow you can use.

On the subject of flies, it is only necessary to add, in addition to what Walton has said, that colour is more attractive than form, and that an ill-made fly of a right colour is often more killing than the neatest of a colour not frequently seen on the water. In clear rivers small flies will be found best, but if the river be discoloured, or the weather cloudy, they may be used larger. The flies should be made on the finest gut, and the hooks not too large and heavy. Hackles of different colours, the bodies of each varied in tint, are perhaps best, for a hackle always falls light on the water, and does not create suspicion. "He who attends to the catalogue of flies published in most fishing-books, will find himself perplexed and confounded; and will frequently see a homely fisherman with a hazel wand, and an extra fly or two in reserve twisted round the band of his hat, filling his hamper, whilst he, so fastidious in his choice, is selecting from his book of readymade London flies, one for the month, nay, even the hour of the day !! A man may as well attempt to learn the Chinese characters and language, as fish by books enthralled and entangled with a multiplicity of flies. I am much mistaken if he does not soon find from experience that these flies are like quack medicines-made to sell."— Sporting Mag. Oct. 1823.

The use of a Bag is attended with many inconveniences; to prevent which, the Angler is recommended either to make a parchment book, according to the directions given in Daniel's Rural Sports, vol. 1. p. 295, or to procure a similar one at a fishingtackle maker's.

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 Solomon 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 superstitious: 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-side 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 two are most excellent 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, 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 others 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 silk, but the head 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 of Angling, p. 63, says, "The body may be made of a bittern's feather, and the wings of the feather of a woodcock's wing."-H.

This is impossible, unless you dib with the artificial as with the natural fly, which is never practised.

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 :

bodies all made of black; or some with red, and a red hackle. You may also make the Hawthorn-fly: which is all black, and not big but very small, the smaller the better. Or the oak-fly, the body of which is orange colour and black crewel, with a brown wing. Or a fly made with a peacock's feather is excellent in a bright day: you must be sure you want not in your magazine-bag the peacock's feather; and grounds of such wool and crewel as will make the grasshopper. And note, that usually the smallest flies are the best; and note also, that the light fly does usually make most sport in a dark day, and the darkest and least fly in a bright or clear day and lastly note, that you are to repair upon any occasion to your magazine-bag and upon any occasion, vary and make them lighter or sadder, according to your fancy, or the day.

:

And now I shall tell you, that the fishing with a natural fly is excellent, and affords much pleasure. They may be found thus: the May-fly, usually in and about that month, near to the river-side, especially against rain: the Oak-fly, on the butt or body of an oak or ash, from the beginning of May to the end of August; it is a brownish fly and easy to be so found, and stands usually with his head downward, that is to say, towards the root of the tree : the small black-fly, or Hawthorn-fly, is to be had on any hawthorn bush after the leaves be come forth. With these and a short line, as I showed to angle for a Chub, you may dape or dop, and also with a grasshopper, behind a tree, or in any deep hole; still making it to move on the top of the water as if it were alive, and still keeping yourself out of sight, you shall certainly have sport if there be Trouts; yea, in a hot day, but especially in the evening of a hot day, you will have sport.†

But morning and evening, if the day be bright:
And the chief point of all is to keep out of sight.
"In the month of May, none but the May-fly,
For every month, one," is a pitiful lye.
The black Hawthorn-fly must be very small;
And the sandy hog's hair is, sure, the best of all
(For the mallard-wing May-fly, and peacock's train,
Will look like the flesh-fly) to kill Trout amain.
The Oak-fly is good, if it have a brown wing.
So is the grasshopper, that in July doth sing:
With a green body make him, on a middle-siz'd hook.
But when you have catcht fish, then play the good cook.
Once more, my good brother, I'll speak in thy ear:
Hog's, red cow's, and bear's wool, to float best appear:
And so doth your fur, if rightly it fall:

But always remember, Make two, and make all.-H.

The Oak-fly is known also by the names of the Ash-fly and the Woodcock-fly; and in Shropshire it is called the Cannon or Downhill fly.

The following observations on Daping and Fly-fishing, by a writer contemporary

And now, scholar, my direction for fly-fishing is ended with this shower, for it has done raining. And now look about you, and see how pleasantly that meadow looks; nay, and the earth smells as sweetly too. Come, let me tell you what holy Mr Herbert says * of such days and flowers as these, and then we will thank God that we enjoy them, and walk to the river and sit down quietly, and try to catch the other brace of Trouts.

Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright,
The bridal of the earth and sky,
Sweet dews shall weep thy fall to-night,
For thou must die.
Sweet rose, whose hue, angry and brave,
Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye,
Thy root is ever in its grave,

And thou must die.

Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses,
A box where sweets compacted lie;
My music shows you have your closes,
And all must die.
Only a sweet and virtuous soul,
Like season'd timber, never gives,
But when the whole world turns to coal,
Then chiefly lives.

VENATOR. I thank you, good master, for your good direction for fly-fishing, and for the sweet enjoyment of the pleasant day, which is so far spent without offence to God or man: and I thank you for the sweet close of your discourse with Mr Herbert's verses; who, I have heard, loved angling; and I do the rather believe it, because he had a spirit suitable to anglers, and to those primitive Christians that you love, and have so much commended.

PISCATOR.

Well, my loving scholar, and I am pleased to

with Walton, are preserved in the Sloane MS. 1032, and although evidently not intended for publication, are so judicious that their insertion may be excused: "You must have a quick eye. In the evening of a hot day, or in a hot calm day, and the still deep is to be preferred, though on the side of a stream when the water is clearing after great rains or a flood is very proper. Observe to keep out of sight: keep your fly moving. In dibbing for roach, dace, or chub, I must not let my motion be swift: when I see any of them coming towards the bait, I must make two or three short removes, and then let it glide gently with the stream, if possible towards the fish. If it be slow or standing water, I must keep it moving with my hand, not just upon him, but sideways and sloping by him: when a pretty good gale stirs the water it is best. If the fish will not rise at top, I will try a little lower. When the wind furls the water, and few flies appear on it or over, I think it a good time for daping. If the sun shines I'll get under a tree, that neither my body nor my rod may shine in the water. If I find not that they will rise at top, I will sink the fly even to mid-water. Before the flies are naturally in season, I will go to the bushes and trees that are adjacent to the river or pond, and observe what are flying near over it, or on the water, and the fly that swarms there most is in season. Some open the first fish they take and look in its stomach; but my conjecture is, that it must either be partly consumed, or so discoloured that it cannot well be known; and again, fish will take such food at one time that they will not at another which they altogether dislike; therefore I think it is insignificant. In casting I'll do it with a little circling about my head by waving the rod, or else the fly may with too smart a jerk be apt to snap off, and so I must stay a quarter of an hour it may be to get another. In casting I will observe always to do it before me that it may fall on the water and no part of the line shall dash to scare the fish; and if I can without making any circling in the water, I will. If the wind be high, I will let some of the line be in the water to keep the fly from being blown out. I will stand if I possibly can with the sun in my face and the wind to my back. In still or slow water I'll cast my fly almost across, and draw it towards me gently a little way."

* The Temple. Sacred Poems, &c. p. 80, edit. 1633.