DIPTERA
The order Diptera, or two-winged flies, includes more species which at
times serve as food for trout and grayling, than any other order which
includes species of so-called flies.
Though naturally many other species than those whose imitations I
describe here will be found on the water, I have tried to include those
which are most commonly found, without burdening my reader with too
many.
The several patterns of imitations of small Diptera (curses) will, I
believe, be found to represent most of the commoner species found on the
water, at least sufficiently accurately to deceive the trout sometimes,
though when the fish are feeding upon these tiny flies, it is very
probable that they will refuse all imitations, for many species which
serve them as food are too small to imitate.
BLUE-BOTTLE AND GREEN-BOTTLE
The Blue-bottle and Green-bottle, though perhaps some of the commonest
of flies, are but little used by the fly-fisherman. The success met with
in using the natural fly is very small. The reason for this want of
success is the position in which the wings of the imitation are put by
the fly-dresser. In this case, like that of the Alder, the fault does
not lie with the fly-dresser, as the writers on fly-dressing direct that
the wings should be put on in the same position as those of every other
fly--that is, in an upright position. Any one, as I have said before, on
the most casual observation must realise that the wings of a Blue-bottle
and the wings of a May-fly do not lie in quite the same position in
relation to the body.
There are many Diptera which come under the names of Blue- and
Green-bottles, but as they are very similar in appearance it is only
necessary to vary the size, as the trout are probably not sufficiently
scientifically educated to discriminate between the different species.
The commonest species of Diptera which are included under the popular
names of Blue- and Green-bottles, are the _Calliphora erythrocephala_,
Mg., and _Lucilia caesar_, Linn., of which illustrations are given on the
Plate of Natural Flies.
August and September are the best months for these flies, though they
come out much earlier. They seem, however, to fall upon the water much
more frequently later in the season. They are also very good flies for
grayling in October. As I have already said, of the many different
species which I have ventured to include under the name Blue-bottle, the
commonest at the water side is _Calliphora erythrocephala_. This fly is
also found in towns. The Green-bottle, however, which I have chosen to
represent all the others as being the commonest at the water side is a
country fly, _Lucilia Caesar_. Some species of _Lucilia_, the bodies of
which are generally green, are found in towns.
_Blue-bottle_--
_Body._ Fine dark blue chenille or dark blue Berlin wool, ribbed with
silver tinsel. (I have found the fly very successful when ribbed with
light blue silk as well as the tinsel.)
_Hackle._ Black.
_Wings._ Transparent wing feather of starling.
_Hook._ Nos. 2--4, new size. (No. 3 best all round.)
_Green-bottle_--
_Body._ Bright green peacock herle, ribbed with silver tinsel.
_Hackle_, _Wings_ and _Hook._ Same as Blue-bottle. (Illustrated
Plate II.)
HOUSE-FLY
There are many small Diptera which frequent the water side, which to the
ordinary eye are apparently House-flies. They resemble them so closely,
in fact, that many could not be discriminated from them except by an
entomologist.
I have, therefore, ventured to put them all under the heading of
"House-fly." The only difference which will ever have to be made in the
dressing given below is in the body, and very rarely in the hackle; but
these modifications must be left to the fisherman, who must judge for
himself according to the flies he finds by the water.
I do not remember ever having met a fisherman who had used an artificial
House-fly for trout. Trout however do feed on them; and in this case I
can bring other evidence than my own.
Ronalds describes an experiment he made in order to test the trout's
power of taste; and in this experiment he used House-flies, to which he
applied various condiments, including red pepper. Though his object was
not to prove that trout fed readily on House-flies, I think he proved
that they did so.
Probably the commonest of these small Diptera which is to be found by
the water is _Musca corvina_, Fab., which is the country cousin of our
well-known House-fly, though, indeed, many of the flies which frequent
our houses are not the true House-fly (_Musca domestica_). The male
_Musca corvina_, whose portrait is given on Plate I., has a body which
appears to consist of alternate stripes of yellow and brown. The female,
however, has a uniformly dark body. Of the other flies, very similar in
appearance to House-flies, the bodies vary in colour; but if made of a
yellowish or dull brown, sometimes ribbed, it will generally prove like
enough to nature, to deceive the trout.
_Body._ Yellow ochre-coloured Berlin wool, spun on black silk. Ribbed
with silver tinsel and dark brown according to circumstances. (The exact
shade is easy to see on the under surface of the natural fly. The under
surface of the fly is the surface seen by the trout.)
_Hackle._ Coch-y-bondhu.
_Wings._ Transparent quill feather of starling.
_Hook._ Nos. 00--1, new size.
(Illustrations of imitation, Plate II.)
COW-DUNG FLY (_Scatophaga stercoraria_, Linn.).
This fly appears as a rule in February, but I have seen it on warm days
in January, in fairly large numbers. It lasts all the year till the
frosts set in. Those cow-dungs which appear early in the year are not so
large as those which appear later. The body is covered with short hairs
which gives it a velvety appearance. The thorax is large and also has a
number of hairs upon it. In order to imitate this large thorax, it is
necessary to have more room on the hook above the hackle and wings than
in other flies to leave room for a turn of the chenille, of which the
body is made, just below the head of the fly. This will be seen in the
illustrations of the artificial fly on Plate II.
The body of the male is a bright yellow colour, that of the female is
greenish. The male is rather larger than the female. These flies, which
on windy days particularly, frequently fall on the water, are often
taken very freely by the trout.
Though when at rest the wings are flat upon each other, as shown in the
illustration of the natural fly in Plate I., they often, when the fly
falls on the water, are spread out slightly; so in the imitation it is
best to put them in the position shown in the illustration of the
artificial fly.
_Body._ Yellow or greenish yellow chenille ribbed with gold tinsel.
_Hackle._ Ginger.
_Wings._ Light landrail, or brownish starling.
_Hook._ 0--2, new size.
BLACK GNAT (_Bibio johannis_, Linn.).
The black Gnat is found on almost all waters. It is extremely numerous
in some places, and is taken very readily by the trout.
These flies are not really Gnats; but as they are commonly called Gnats
by the fishermen, I have kept to the old name.
_Bibio johannis_ comes out in June. The body is black in both the male
and female, the wings in the male are almost colourless, while the wings
of the female are dark. The head of the male is also larger than the
head of the female. Both the male and female have a dark oval-shaped
patch about the middle of the anterior margin of the front wing.
Both these flies are taken greedily by the trout when they fall upon the
water.
I have found the following dressing the best:--
_Body._ Peacock quill dyed black, or black silk.
_Hackle._ Cock starling's hackle, stripped on one side.
_Wings._ (_Male_) From most transparent part of quill feather of
starling. (_Female_) From brown tipped starling's tail feather.
_Hook._ No. 000--0, new size.
An illustration of the imitation fly is given on Plate II.
HAWTHORN FLY (_Bibio marci_, Linn.).
_Bibio marci_ is commonly called the Hawthorn-fly, and was described
under this name by Ronalds. It is, speaking broadly, first cousin to the
Black Gnat, though it is very much larger. It appears at the end of
April or the beginning of May. The body is black, and the wings show
the oval patch in the _B. johannis_; but as the fly is larger, in the
_B. marci_ it is more noticeable. As only the male seems to rove about
to any extent, it is just as well to imitate the male only.
_Body._ Black Berlin wool, ribbed with silver tinsel.
_Hackle._ Black.
_Wings._ (_Male_) Transparent part of quill feather of starling.
_Hook._ No. 1--3, new size.
An illustration of the natural fly is given on Plate I., and one of the
imitations on Plate II.
_Curses_
There are several other small Diptera which at times appear on the water
in swarms. These are known to the fishermen as Curses or Smuts. They are
often so small that there is no hook made small enough upon which to tie
imitations of them. However, as every fisherman knows, when the trout or
grayling are feeding on these flies, it is generally impossible to get
them to take the imitation of any other fly, it is worth while trying
to imitate them on the smallest hook made. This is an 000, with a short
shank. As it is extremely difficult to put wings on these flies, hackle
patterns may be tried, but the winged patterns are the best.
Once, when out fishing, I had a very aggravating experience with some
tiny Curses. I had been fishing all the morning and had caught nothing.
At about two o'clock I saw several good fish rising, but they would not
look at my fly. I observed a fair number of light Olive Duns on the
water, but both the imitation of this fly and several fancy patterns I
tried proved equally useless.
At last I seated myself on a fence close to a clump of willows, lighted
a pipe, and began watching a fish which was rising a few yards higher
up, not far from the bank on my side of the river. The water was
perfectly clear, and when the fish rose I could see him distinctly. He
was a grayling of between half and three-quarters of a pound, and rose
four or five times in the minute. There were a lot of Smuts on the
water, which from where I was, looked very dark if not black. These the
fish rose at regularly, but he let several Olive Duns pass by unnoticed.
The only Curses I had in my fly-box were black; and as those he was
feeding upon appeared to be black, I put one on my cast and floated it
over him several times. But though he once took a natural Smut floating
within an inch of my fly, my fly he would not take.
I then went further down the bank and caught some of the Smuts that were
on the water. They were of a mottled dun colour, and the black effect
was only produced by their shadow or reflection (which I could not
determine) when they were on the water.
Of the flies in my box that which came nearest in general effect to
these Curses was a green insect (dun hackle and peacock herle body) tied
on an 000 hook. This I put on my cast and floated over him. He rose to
it, and as he rose I could see him distinctly. When within a few inches
of my fly, however, he stopped short, turned aside, and took a natural
Smut that was floating past. I tried him then with an olive quill, a
Wickham, and a red tag; but he would have none of them. I had to give
him up in despair, though I believe if I had had a dun-coloured Smut he
would have taken it.
The dressings of Curses given here will, I think, be sufficient to
include the commoner Curses so numerous on most waters, especially
during the hottest part of summer and autumn.
The number of different small Diptera which are found on the water is so
great that any attempt to classify them in a work which is meant only
for fishermen would be out of place. I have therefore limited myself to
giving these imitations--
_Curse No. 1_ (Black):--
_Body._ Black silk or black quill, with a turn of the narrowest
silver tinsel at the tail.
_Hackle._ Black.
_Wings._ Most transparent part of starling's quill feather.
_Hook._ 000 short shank.
(Illustrated, Plate II.)
_Curse No. 2_ (Dun):--
_Body._ Thinnest part of natural brown ostrich.
_Hackle._ Dun (hen's)
_Wings_ and _hook_ as No. 1.
(Illustrated, Plate II.)
_Curse No. 3_ (Badger):--
_Body_, _wings_ and _hook_ as No. 2.
_Hackle._ Cock's badger hackle.
(Illustrated, Plate II.)
_Curse No. 4_ (Red):--
_Body._ Peacock quill dyed to a crimson lake colour.
_Hackle._ Black.
_Wings_ and _hook_ as No. 1.
Nos. 2 and 3 should be made also without the fluff being stripped off
the quill, which in this case should be used just as peacock herle is
used.
THE OAK-FLY (_Leptis scolopacea_, Linn.)
This fly, notwithstanding its popular name, is found on many other
trees, and I have seen it in places where there were no oak-trees near.
It kills very well, and is in season from April to July. The body is
long and tapered, and the segments of the abdomen are, in the male, of a
brilliant orange colour, with black markings upon them, as shown in the
illustration of the natural fly on Plate I. The wings are brown.
_Body._ Reddish orange Berlin wool, ribbed with black silk, and
narrow gold tinsel.
_Hackle._ Coch-y-bondhu.
_Wings._ From sixth or seventh quill feathers of landrail wings.
_Hook._ New size, No. 2--3.
(Imitation illustrated on Plate II., Figs. 3 and 4.)