Flies For March
No. 1. THE MARCH BROWN.--The body is made of light brown mohair, mixed
with a little fur of the hare's neck, and a little yellow mohair, ribbed
with yellow silk; a small brown partridge hackle for legs (this feather
is found on the back of the partridge), hen pheasant wing feather for
the wings, and two fibres of the same bird's tail feather for the tail
of the fly. No. 8 hook. This fly is well taken by the trout, and
continues good till the end of April. The following flies appear before
the March brown, but it being a great favorite, I have given it first.
No. 2. THE EARLY DARK DUN.--The body is made of water-rat's fur, mixed
with a little red mohair, the red more towards the head, an iron-blue
dun hackle for legs, and the wings of water-hen or water-rail wing. No.
9 hook.
There is another variety or two of this fly that kill well in February
and March, which are as follows: A black red hackle, with the above
wings and body; a mallard wing, and the above body; a peacock harl
body, a soot-coloured dun hackle, and a tip of gold. No. 10 hook.
There is a small fly, which I term the "heath fly," which is an
excellent one in this month, and is made thus: The body is made of the
fine fur of the belly of the hedgehog, or rat back fur (common rat),
mixed with red squirrel fur, and a little orange mohair, rolled on thin
and taper; a small silver grey hackle for legs, and winged with the grey
tail feather of the partridge. A grey mallard and red squirrel fur makes
another good fly. No. 10 hook.
No. 3. THE LITTLE BLUE DUN.--The body is made of mole's fur, slightly
mixed with bright yellow mohair, a light blue dun hackle for legs, and
starling wings. No. 12 hook. This delicate little fly appears on cold
days in March, and is well taken by the trout from ten till four in the
evening, with the little red dun.
No. 4. THE ORANGE DUN.--The body is made of orange and hare's fur, a
honey dun hackle for legs, and grey mallard wings. No. 10 hook. Good on
windy days in this month and the next. There should be but little
hackle used on small flies in the early season, as the fur is sufficient
or nearly so.
No. 5. THE MARLOW BUZZ.--The body is made of peacock harl, a dun hackle
over it from the tail, and two dark red ones round the shoulder, rib of
silver. This fly does best where there are large trees growing over the
river banks.
No. 6. THE BROWN HACKLE.--The body is made of yellow brown mohair, a
little orange fox fur, and two short fibred brown-red hackles rolled
from the tail over the body, and ribbed with gold wire for evening
fishing. It will be found a good one for large trout in river or lake,
winged with hen pheasant tail, and forked with two fibres of the same
feather, hook No. 10 for the small fly, and No. 6 for the larger size.
There is also a small red fly comes on in this month, very killing; the
body is made of red squirrel's fur, a turn of a red hackle round the
throat, and grey mallard wings mixed with partridge; hook No. 8.
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The Trout Flies For The Season
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