No. I. [Referred to from the end of PART I;] A Synopsis of AQUATIC INSECTS covering themselves with cases. Water insects And their cases are either -Immoveable, being affixed to stones; and have a Round, with little threads on the sides; or Flat, and mere compressed, without little threads, Or moveable, portable and migratory, called "phryganea," vulgo," a cad-case," which is furnished with little threads, as well on the back as the sides, by means whereof they adhere firmly to their cases, excepting only their head and feet; with three small protuberances projecting beyond the feet, which they can erect or put forth at pleasure, to hinder their cases from pressing down on their heads as they creep, and troubling them. Straws agglutinated: and those ei- Or no adhering fine sand; which are either Parallel, species; The greater being two inches long. The lesser and most common, called straw-worms. Or transverse and shorter, with sometimes Or crooked, or rather resembling a horn: for the cases of these are crooked, and one extremity is larger, the other less. Of these I have known four different species, viz. the black, large and small; and ash-colour, large and small. All these produce flies with large wings, like those of butterflies. The nympha of these (which are to spring from those small worms, and which like torsoises carry their houses about with them, within which they turn into nymphæ, from which nymphæ afterwards spring little flies,) Dr. Swammerdam refers to his fourth order of transmutations, whereas, in my opinion, they belong to the third, because they change their skin twice. Another translation of this Synopsis, too copious to be here inserted, together with many curious particulars concerning Aquatic Insects, is to be found in the Natural History of Northamptonshire, by the Rev. John Morton, chap. 7. No. II. [Referred to from Part II. page 317, n.] FEBRUARY. PEACOCK HACKLE. Peacock's herl alone, or interchanged with ostrich herl; warping, red silk; red cock's hackle over all. It may be varied by a black cock's hackle and silver twist. Taken chiefly from nine to eleven in the morning, and from one to three in the afternoon. This, and the several other hackles which we have here and hereafter described, being most tempting baits, should always be first tried when the angler comes to a strange river; and not changed till he has found out, and is certain, what particular fly is upon the water. MARCH. GREEN PEACOCK HACKLE. Greenish herl of a peacock; warping, green silk; a black hackle over all, Taken from eight to eleven in the morning. ASHI-COLOURED DUN. Dub with the roots of a foxcub's tail; warp with pale yellow silk; wing, of the pale part of a starling's feather. Taken from eight to eleven, and from one to three. This fly, which is also called the VIOLET DUN, and BLUE DUN, is to be found on almost every river; some particulars of it have been mentioned in the note, Part II. p. 318; but here follow some observations on it, which deserve to be attended to. It varies much in its colour, according to the season of the year: in March and September it is called, and that very properly, the Violet Dun, for it has often that hue; and therefore in the passage above referred to we have directed the mixing blue-violet crewel with the fox-cub down. In April it assumes a pale-ash colour; and in May is of a beautiful lemoncolour, both body and wings. In June and July it is blueblack; and from July it insensibly varies, till it becomes of its primitive colour, violet dun, which it never fails to do by September. APRIL. PEARL-COLOUR, OF HERON DUN. Dub with the yellowish or ash-coloured herl of a heron; warp with ash-coloured silk. Wing, from the short feather of a heron, or from a coot's wing of an ash-colour. Morning and afternoon. BLUE DUN. Dub with the fur of a water-rat; warp with ash-colour. Wing, of a coot's feather. Morning and afternoon. MAY. SILVER-TWIST HACKLE. Dub with the herl of an ostrich feather; warp with dark green, silver twist, and black cock's hackle over all. Taken from nine to eleven, especially in a showery day. SOOTY DUN. Dub with black spaniel's fur, or the herl of an ostrich; warp with green. Wing, the dark part of a land-rail or coot. Taken best in a showery day, as also in April or June. LIGHT FLAMING or SPRING BROWN. Dub with light brown of a calf; warp with orange colour; wing of a pale grey mallard's feather. Taken chiefly before sun-set in a warm evening: a good fly. Although much is said in the First Part of the foregoing Dialogues, [p. 99] of the Oak-fly, the Author has given but a very superficial description of it, and his directions for making it are extremely imperfect; we would therefore recommend the making it after the natural fly, and that according to the following directions: OAK FLY. By some called the Ash-fly, (by others, erroneously, the Hawthorn-fly,) The head, which is large, of an ash-colour; the upper part of the body greyish, with two or three hairs of bright brown mixed, and a very little light blue, and sometimes a hair or two of light green; the tail part is greyish mixed with orange; wing, of a mottled brown feather of a woodcock, partridge, or brown hen; hook No. 8 or 9. This is the fly which is seen much in March, April, May, and June, on the body of ash-trees, oaks, willows, and thorns growing near the water, standing with its head downwards. It is an excellent fly, but difficult to imitate, being of many colours, unequally mixed, It takes chiefly in the morning: it does not seem to come from any cadis, for it never drops in great numbers on the water; and the wings are short, and lie flat on the back, like the blue-bottle, or large flesh-fly, Dub ORANGE-TAWNEY, ORANGE-BROWN, CAMLET-FLY, ALDER-FLY, WITHY-FLY, or BASTARD CADIS. with dark brown spaniel's hair, or calf's hair that shines, or barge-sail; warp with deep orange; black hackle under the wing. Wing, of a darkish feather of a mallard or starling. Taken chiefly in a morning, before the Green-drake comes upon the water. HUZZARD. Dub with pale lemon-coloured mohair, or ostrich-feather dyed yellow; warp with yellow; gold twist and yellow hackle over all. Wing, of a very pale mallard's feather dyed of a lemon-colour; the wings large, and longer than the body, lying flat on the back. Taken in a blustering day, before the May-fly comes in. A fly little known, but the most beautiful of the insect species that frequent the water. It is larger than the Green-drake; of a beautiful lemon-colour, both body and wings, which are four in number, and lie close to its back. It is to be met with in but few rivers, and is therefore esteemed a great curiosity in those rivers that produce them, they appear in great numbers about the latter end of April; at which time, and afterwards, the Trouts rise at them very eagerly: doubtless this is a true water-fly; it is supposed to be produced from a very large cadis. DEATH DRAKE. The body, one herl of black ostrich and two of peacock; silver twist; black hackle. Wing, of the dark feather of a mallard, of a copper colour. Taken chiefly in an evening, when the May-fly is almost gone. YELLOW MILLER, or OWL-FLY. The body of a yellow martern's fur, or ostrich herl dyed buff colour. Wing, of the ruddy feather of a young peacock's wing, or pale brown chicken. Taken from sun-set till ten at night, and from two till four in the morning. JUNE. The May-flies, most of them, as above. JULY. MIDDLING BROWN. Made of calf's hair twisted upon pale yellow silk, for the silk to appear. Wing, of a mallard's feather. DARK BROWN. Warp with red silk, with a deep orange tag at the tail. Wing, of a mallard's feather. WILLOW CRICKET, or SMALL PEACOCK FLY. A herl of a green peacock's feather; warp with green silk. Wing, of a starling's feather longer than the body. A morning fly, especially for Grayling in rapid rivers. PISMIRE. The body, some few reeves of a cock-pheasant's tail-feather, or ruddy barge-sail, or brown carpet, or old bear's-hair, towards the roots, tanned with the weather; one peacock's herl may be twisted with it: warp with ruddy silk. Wing, the light part of a starling's feather, left longer than the body. A killing fly after an emmet-flight, but not before. AUGUST. The Pismire through this month; as also the other flies of the last month. SEPTEMBER. LARGE FETID LIGHT BROWN. The body of light calf or cow's hair, or seal's fur dyed of the colour; warp with ruddy or orange-coloured silk. Wing, of a ruddy brown chicken large and long. A killing fly in a morning. This fly is much upon Hackney river, and is much ruddier there than elsewhere. In the Thames, I have caught with it Dace of the largest size, and in great numbers. Somewhat of its history is given in the Notes, p. 202, 203. No. III. [Referred to from Part II. page 313, n.] JANUARY. SPRING BLACK. Body, black wool of a sheep's face, with or without a greenish peacock's herl; warp with brown silk. Wing, the grey feather of a mallard. SECOND SPRING BLACK. Body, the very blackest part of the darkest hare's scut you can procure; with or without a greenish peacock's herl; warp with ash-coloured silk. Wing, of a fieldfare's feather. This and the other Spring Black are best taken in bright weather. BLOA' HERL. Body, black rabbit's scut; black of a hare's scut; greenish peacock's herl; warp with brown silk. Wing, the light part of a fieldfare's feather. BLACK HACKLE. Body, pale yellow silk; with a black cock's hackle turned about it. DUN HACKLE. Body, dun-coloured silk; with a dun cock's hackle. FEBRUARY. The same flies as are directed for the preceding month. MARCH. The same flies as are directed for the preceding months; and also the TURKEY FLY, or MARCH FLY. hair, tops of the wings of a woodcock, Body, brown foal's some ruddy, others (1) This is a north-country word, and, as I am told, signifies a colour resembling that of a mole's back, which has a bluish gloss. I find it thus explained, in a Catalogue of local words communicated in a Letter from Mr. Thoresby, of Leeds, to Mr. Ray: "Bloa, black and blue." Philosophical Letters, between the learned Mr. Ray, and several of his ingenious correspondents, Octavo, 1718 P. 321. |