1

I shall therefore begin my fly-fishing with that month, though I confefs very few begin fo foon, and that such as are so fond of the sport as to embrace all opportunities, can rarely in that month find a day fit for their purpose, and tell you, that upon my knowledge these flies in a warm fun, for an hour or two in the day, are certainly taken.

JANUARY.

1. A RED BROWN, with wings of the male of a mallard almost white: the dubbing of the tail of a black long coated cur, fuch as they commonly make muffs of; for the hair on the tail of fuch a dog dies and turns to a red brown, but the hair of a smooth-coated dog of the fame colour will not do, because it will not die, but retains its natural colour, and this fly is taken in a warm fun, this whole month through.

2. There is also a very little BRIGHT DUN GNAT, as little as can poffibly be made, fo little as never to be fished with, with above one hair next the hook; and this is to be made of a mixt dubbing of marten's furr, and the white of a hare's fcut, with a very white and fmall wing; and 'tis no great matter how fine you fish, for nothing will rife in this month but a Grayling, and of them I never, at this feason, faw any taken with a fly, of above a foot long in my life: but of little ones about the bigness of a Smelt, in a warm day, and a glowing fun, you may take enough with these two flies, and they are both taken the whole month through.

FE

FEBRUARY.

1. Where the red-brown of the laft month ends, another almost of the fame colour begins, with this faving, that the dubbing of this muft be of fomething a blacker colour, and both of them warpt on with red filk; the dubbing that fhould make this fly, and that is the trueft colour, is to be got off the black spot of a hog's ear: not that a black spot in any part of the hog will not afford the fame colour; but that the hair in that place is, by many degrees, softer, and more fit for the purpose: his wing must be as the other, and this kills all this month, and is called the leffer red-brown.

2. This month also a PLAIN HACKLE (1), or palmer-fly made with a rough black body, either of black spaniel's furr, or the whirl of an oftrich feather, and the red hackle of a capon over all, will kill, and if the weather be right, make very good sport.

3. Allo a LESSER HACKLE, with a black body alfo, filver twift over that, and a red feather over all, will fill your pannier if the month be open, and not bound up in ice and fnow, with very good fish; but in cafe of a froft and fnow, you are to angle only with the fmalleft gnats, browns and duns, you can make, and with thofe

VARIATIONS.

The author is now in the month of February, during which are taken, the

(1) PLAIN HACKLE; which we would recommend to be made of black oftrich herl warped, or tied down to the dubbing with red filk, and a red cock's hackle over all.

are

are only to expect Graylings no bigger than Sprats.

4. In this month, upon a whirling round water, we have a GREAT HACKLE, the body black, and wrapped with a red feather of a capon untrimmed; that is, the whole length of the hackle staring out; for we fometimes barb the hackle-feather short all over; fometimes barb it only a little, and fometimes barb it close underneath, leaving the whole length of the feather on the top, or back of the fly, which makes it fwim better, and, as occafion ferves, kills very great fish.

5. We make ufe alfo, in this month, of another great hackle, the body black, and ribbed over with gold twift, and a red feather over all; which alfo does great execution (2).

6. Alfo a GREAT DUN, made with dun bear's hair, and the wings of the grey feather of a mallard near unto his tail; which is abfolutely the best fly can be thrown upon a river this month, and with which an angler shall have admirable sport.

7. We have alfo this month the GREAT BLUE DUN, the dubbing of the bottom of bear's hair next to the roots, mixt with a little blue camlet, the wings of the dark grey feather of a mallard.

VARIATION S.

(2) GOLD-TWIST HACKLE; the fame dubbing, warping and hackle, with gold-twift.

N. B. Thefe hackles are taken chiefly from nine to eleven

in the morning, and from one to three in the afternoon. They will do for any month in the year, and upon any

@water.

8. We have alfo this month a DARK-BROWN, the dubbing of a brown hair off the flank of a brended cow, and the wings of the grey drake's feather.

And note, that these several hackles, or palmer-flies, are fome for one water, and one sky, and fome for another, and according to the change of thofe, we alter their fize and colour and note alfo, that both in this, and all other months of the year, when you do not certainly know what fly is taken, or cannot fee any fish to rife, you are then to put on a small hackle, if the water be clear, or a bigger, if fomething dark, until you have taken one; and then thrufting your finger through his gills, to pull out his gorge, which being opened with your knife, you will then discover what fly is taken, and may fit yourself accordingly.

*

For the making of a hackle, or palmer fly, my father Walton has already given you suffi cient direction *.

MARCH.

But, with Mr. Cotton's good leave, he has not, nor has any author, that I know of, unless we are to take that for a palmer, which Walton has given directions for making page 111; which I can never do till I fee, what I have never yet feen, viz. Caterpillars with wings. Rejecting, therefore, wings as unnatural and abfurd; fuppofing you would make the plain hackle or palmer, which are terms of the fame import, the method of doing it is as follows, vix.

Hold your hook in a horizontal pofition, with the thank downwards, and the bent of it between the fore-finger and thumb of your left hand; and, having a fine brittle, and other materials, lying by you, take half a yard of fine red marking-filk, well waxed, and, with your right hand, give it four or five turns about the fhank of the hook, inclining the turns to the right hand: when you are near the end of

the

MARC H.

For this month you are to use all the fame hackles, and flies with the other, but you are to make them lefs.

1. We have befides for this month a little Dun called a WHIRLING DUN (3), though it is not the Whirling Dun indeed, which is one of the best flies we have, and for this the dubbing muft be of the bottom furr of a squirrel's tail, and the wing of the grey feather of a drake.

2. Alfo

the shank, turn it into fuch a loop as you are hereafter directed to make for fastening off, and draw it tight, leaving the ends of the filk to hang down at each end of the hook, Having finged the end of your bristle, lay the fame along on the infide of the shank of the hook, as low as the bent. and whip four or five times round; then finging the other end of the bristle to a fit length, turn it over to the back of the fhank, and, pinching it into a proper form, whip down and faften off, as before directed, which will bring both ends of the filk into the bent. After you have waxed your

VARIATIONS.

filk

(3) GREAT WHIRLING DUN. Dub with fox cub, or fquirrel's-furr, well mixed with about a fixth part of the fineft hog's-wool, warp with pale orange-wings, very large, taken from the quill-feather of a ruddy hen, the head to be faftened with ash-colour filk, a red cock's hackle, at full length, may be wrapped under the wings, and a turn or two lower towards the tail.

This is a killing fy, and is to be feen rifing out of the fedges in moft Trout rivers, late in the evening, feldom before fun-jes, and continues on the water till midnight, or after. It is found most of the warm months; but kills chiefly in a blustering warm evening, from the middle of Nay to the end of July.