Part 6

REMARKS ON THE MARCH BROWN OR DUN DRAKE.

The March Brown is well known to all anglers as a fly to which they are chiefly indebted for the greatest portion of their sport in the Spring, commencing as its name indicates in March, and continuing the whole of April and into May. They appear on the water each succeeding day about eleven in the forenoon, and retire about half-past two p.m. Few rivers or brooks produce March Browns that are exactly alike;--I mean with regard to the same shade of colour, even in the same river there are frequently darker and lighter flies. For the lighter one I recommend the hen pheasant's or brown owl's wing feather, dubbed with hare's ear and yellow silk; for the dark, the tail feather of a partridge, a brown red hackle underneath the wings, and dark orange silk, or a woodcock's feather for wings, and a dark red hackle with dark orange silk,--kills exceedingly well. When the water is low and fine, I consider your chance of killing fish far greater with two, than three of the large spring flies. If you put the brown, and blue dun on your stretcher, three quarters of a yard apart, you will find your cast will be much lighter with the two than three; this plan also holds good in reference to hackle flies, provided that you know what the fish are taking.

SELECT LIST OF VERY KILLING FLIES, BOTH PALMERS AND HACKLES.

If these flies do not answer, it is very rare that you will succeed with any other. They are suitable for all the rivers and brooks of Yorkshire, Durham, Westmoreland and Cumberland; about thirty years experience has convinced me of their entire excellence, and probably the ingenuity of man cannot devise any to supersede them.

Palmers for March, April, and first week in May,--The March Brown or Dun Drake,--The Blue Dun,--Early Bright Brown.

May.--The Dun Cut,--The Cow Dung Fly, and also the March Brown and Blue Dun are on the waters in late seasons to the middle of the month.

June.--Little Black Gnat,--The Brown Palmer,--Little Red Spinner--and Alder Fly.

July.--The Wasp Fly,--Black Palmer,--July Dun.

August.--The Late Ant Fly,--The Pale Blue.

September.--The September Dun,--The Camel Brown and Willow Fly.

October.--Blue Dun, Pale Blue, and Dun Drake.

NOTE.--If there are no Flies on the water when you begin to angle, try a Palmer till you find what Flies the fish are taking. One Palmer and two small hackle Flies on your stretcher give a tolerable good chance.

LIST OF HACKLES AND SILKS TO SUIT.

(GOOD KILLERS.)

For March and April.--Dark Snipe and crimson silk,--Dark Snipe and Purple silk.--Hooks No. 1 and 2.--Outside feather of Woodcock's wing and dark orange silk.--Inside feather of Woodcock's wing and yellow silk.--Dottrel's back or neck feather and yellow silk.--Hooks No. 2 or 3.

May.--Inside and outside feathers of Woodcock's wing, with orange and yellow silk,--Starling or Blackbird's breast and black silk,--Freckled Snipe and yellow silk,--Dark Snipe and crimson silk.--Hooks No. 1 and 2.

June.--Blackbird and orange silk,--Plover and orange silk.--Dottrel's breast and yellow silk,--Freckled Snipe and crimson silk,--Partridge's breast and crimson or yellow silk,--Dark Snipe and yellow silk,--Freckled Snipe and orange silk,--Sandpiper and purple or yellow silk.--Hooks No. 1 or 2.

July.--Light Dottrel and scarlet silk,--Inside of Landrail's wing and yellow silk,--Blackbird and dark red silk,--Feather from neck of a Grouse and scarlet silk,--Plover's breast and bright yellow silk,--Sandpiper and purple silk.--Hooks No. 1 or 2.

August.--Most of the July hackles for the first fortnight, to which add dark Snipe and green silk,--Snipe's breast feather and purple silk,--Dottrel and black silk,--Landrail and red silk.--Hooks No. 1 and 2.

September.--Some of the August Flies with Landrail and yellow silk,--pale blue from Sea Swallow's wing and yellow or primrose coloured silk,--pale blue from Sea Swallow and crimson silk.

October.--Same as March,--with inside of Snipe's wing and yellow silk,--Woodpigeon's feather and yellow silk,--Dottrel and pale yellow silk.--Hooks No. 1 or 2.

I deem November like February, not worth a list.

A LIST OF FLIES THAT WILL, OR AT LEAST ARE LIKELY TO KILL, IN ALL TROUT STREAMS.

FLIES FOR MARCH.

1. Dark Blue,--one of the earliest. 2. Olive Blue,--March and April,--a good Fly in cold weather. 3. Red Clock,--April and March. 4. Little Brown,--March and April, the dark first, then the lighter,--good on warm days. 5. Blue Midge,--early in Spring and late in Autumn. 6. Great Brown, or March Brown,--March, April and first week in May. 7. Yellow Legged Blue,--from the latter end of March to the end of April, on cold days, particularly in April.

FLIES FOR APRIL.

1. Dark Blue,--yellow or Dun Midge from middle of April to middle of May. 2. Spider Legs,--end of April and May,--kills best in a wind. 3. Land Fly,--end of April till towards the end of May 4. Green Tail or Grannam, from six in the morning till eleven again in the evening, when the Browns are off. 5. Ash Fly,--from April to the end of June,--a good killer on windy days.

FLIES FOR MAY.