quented, and where 'tis likely he has done most execution, there is not much notice taken of many more: but we are acquainted with several others here, though perhaps I may reckon some of his by other names too; but if I do, I shall make you amends by an addition to his catalogue. And although the fore-named great master in the art of angling, for so in truth he is, tells you that no man should, in honesty, catch a Trout till the middle of March, yet I hope he will give a man leave sooner to take a Grayling, which, as I told you, is in the dead months in his best season and do assure you, (which I remember by a very remarkable token,) I did once take upon the sixth day of December one, and only one, of the biggest Graylings, and the best in season, that ever I yet saw or tasted; and do usually take Trouts too, and with a fly, not only before the middle of this month, but almost every year in February, unless it be a very ill spring indeed; and have sometimes in January, so early as New-year's tide, and in frost and snow, taken Grayling in a warm sunshine day for an hour or two about noon; and to fish for him with a Grub, it is then the best time of all.

I shall therefore begin my fly-fishing with that month, (though, I confess, very few begin so soon, 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 sun, 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 longcoated cur, such as they commonly make muffs of; for the hair on the tail of such a dog dyes, and turns to a red brown, but the hair of a smooth-coated dog of the same

colour will not do, because it will not dye, but retains its natural colour'. And this fly is taken, in a warm sun, this whole month through.

2. There is also a very little BRIGHT-DUN GNAT, as little as can possibly be made, so little as never to be fish't with, with above one hair next the hook; and this is to be made of a mixt dubbing of marten's fur, and the white of a hare's scut, with a very white and small wing; and it is no great matter how fine you fish, for nothing will rise in this month but a Grayling; and of them I never, at this season, saw 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 sun, you may take enough with these two flies; and they are both taken the whole month through.

FEBRUARY.

1. Where the RED-BROWN of the last month ends, ANOTHER, almost of the same colour, begins with this; saving that the dubbing of this must be of something a blacker colour, and both of them warpt-on with red silk. The dubbing that should make this fly, and that is the truest 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 same 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 LESSER RED-BROWN.

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

3. Also a LESSER HACKLE, with a black body, also silver twist over that, and a red feather over all, will fill your

(1) The dubbing is to be warped on as No. 1, in February, infra. (2) The author is now in the month of February; during which are taken, the

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

pannier, if the month be open, and not bound up in ice and snow, with very good fish; but in case of a frost and snow, you are to angle only with the smallest gnats, browns, and duns you can make; and with those 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 sometimes barb the hackle-feather short all over; sometimes barb it only a little, and sometimes barb it close underneath,) leaving the whole length of the feather on the top or back of the fly, which makes it swim better, and, as occasion serves, kills very great fish.

5. We make use also, in this month, of another GREAT HACKLE, the body black, and ribbed over with goldtwist, and a red feather over all; which also does great execution3.

6. Also 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 absolutely the best fly can be thrown upon a river this month, and with which an angler shall have admirable sport.

7. We have also 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.

cow; and

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

And note, that these several hackles, or palmer-flies, are some for one water and one sky, and some for another; and according to the change of those, we alter their size and colour. And note also, that both in this and all other

(3) Goed-twist HACKLE; the same dubbing, warping, and hackle, with gold twist.

These hackles are taken chiefly from nine to eleven in the moruing, and from one to three in the afternoon. They will do for any month in the year, and upon any water.

months of the year, when you do not certainly know what fly is taken, or cannot see any fish to rise, you are then to put on a small hackle, if the water be clear, or a bigger, if something dark, until you have taken one; and then thrusting your finger through his gills, to pull out his gorge, which being open'd with your knife, you will then discover what fly is taken, and may fit yourself accordingly1.

For the MAKING of a Hackle, or a Palmer-fly, my father Walton has already given you sufficient direction.

(1) You may also observe, that the fish never rise eagerly and freely at any sort of flie, until that kind come to the water's side; for though I have often, at the first coming-in of some flies, (which I judged they loved best,) gotten several of them, yet I could never find that they did much (if at all) value them, until those sorts of flies began to flock to the river's side, and were to be found on the trees and bushes there in great numbers. Venables, p. 15.

When you first come to the river in the morning, With your rod beat upon the bushes or boughs which hang over the waters; and by their falling upon the waters, you will see what sorts of flies are there in greatest numbers; if divers sorts, and equal in number, try them all, and you will quickly find which they most desire. Sometimes they change their flie (but it's not very usual) twice or thrice in one day; but, ordinarily, they seek not for another sort of flie, till they have, for some days, even glutted themselves with a former kind, which is commonly when those flies die and go out. Venables, p.16.

(2) 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, p. 187; which I can never do till I see what I have never yet seen, viz. Caterpillars with wings. Rejecting, therefore, wings as unnatural and absurd, supposing you would make the plain hackle or palmer, which are terms of the same import, the method of doing it is as follows, viz.

Hold your hook in a horizontal position, with the shank downwards, and the bent of it between the fore-finger and thumb of your left hand; and, having a fine bristle, and other materials, lying by you, take half a yard of fine red marking silk, well waxed, and with your right hand give it four or five turns about the shank of the hook, inclining the turns to the right hand: when you are near the end of the shank, turn it into such a loop as you are hereafter directed to make for fastening off, and draw it tight, leaving the ends of the silk to hang down at each end of the hook. Having singed the end of your bristle, lay the same along on the inside of the shank of the hook, as low as the bent, and whip four or five times round; then singeing the other end of the bristle to a fit length, turn it over to the back of the shank, and, pinching it into a proper form, whip down and fasten off, as before directed; which will bring both ends of the silk

into

MARCH.

For this month you are to use all the same hackles and flies with the other; but you are to make them less.

into the bent. After you have waxed your silk again, take three or four strands of an ostrich feather; and holding them and the bent of the book as at first directed, the feathers to your left hand, and the roots in the bent of your hook, with that end of the silk which you just now waxed, whip them three or four times round, and fasten off: then turning the feathers to the right, and twisting them and the silk with your fore-finger and thumb, wind them round the shank of the hook, still supplying the short strands with new ones, as they fail, till you come to the end and fasten off. When you have so done, clip off the ends of the feathers, and trim the body of the palmer small at the extremities, and full in the middle, and wax both ends of your silk, which are now divided, and lie at either end of the hook.

Lay your work by you; and taking a strong bold hackle with fibres about half an inch long, straiten the stem very carefully, and, holding the small end between the fore-finger and thumb of your left hand, with those of the right stroke the fibres the contrary way to that which they naturally lie; and taking the hook, and holding it as before, lay the point of the hackle into the bent of the hook, with the hollow (which is the palest) side upwards, and whip it very fast to its place in doing whereof, be careful not to tie in many of the fibres; or if you should chance to do so, pick them out with the point of a very large needle.

:

When the hackle is thus made fast, the utmost care and nicety is necessary in winding it on; for if you fail in this, your fly is spoiled, and you must begin all again; to prevent which, keeping the hollow or pale side to your left hand, and, as much as possible, the side of the stem down on the dubbing, wind the hackle twice round; and holding fast what you have so wound, pick out the loose fibres which you may have taken in, and make another turn; then lay hold of the hackle with the third and fourth fingers of your left hand, with which you may extend it while you disengage the loose fibres as before.

In this manner proceed till you come to within an eighth of an inch of the end of the shank, where you will find an end of silk hanging; and by which time you will find the fibres at the great end of the hackle something discomposed; clip these off close to the stem, and with the end of your middle finger press the stem close to the hook, while, with the fore-finger of your right hand, you turn the silk into a loop; which, when you have twice put over the end of the shank of the hook, loop and all, your work is safe.

Then wax that end of the silk which you now used, and turn it over as before, till you have taken up nearly all that remained of the hook, observing to lay the turns neatly side by side; and lastly, clip off the ends of the silk. Thus you will have made a bait that will catch Trout of the largest size, in any water in England.

And lest the method of fastening off, which occurs so often in this kind

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