Flies For April

No. 7. THE SOLDIER FLY.--The body is made of scarlet-colored mohair,

ribbed with fine gold twist, and two black-red cock hackles run up over

the body from the tail, (it is made also with orange floss silk body,

ribbed with black silk), a small furnace hackle round the throat and a

darkish starling wing. The dark red furnace hackle has a dark mark round

the edges.



It may also be made to advantage with peac ck harl and black-red hackles

over it, and tipped with gold. The latter way makes it the "cochybonddu"

of Wales. It kills best on windy days in general, with the cow-dung fly,

and partridge hackle.



No. 8. THE CUCKOO HACKLE.--The body is made of peacock's harl, and two

dark dun hackles, with darkish bars across them, rolled up to the

throat; give it a tag of yellow green silk, at the end of the tail,

silver.



The Granam fly may be made thus:--The wings are made of hen pheasant

wing feather, hare's ear fur for body, and a grizzled cock hackle for

legs. It is a four-winged fly, and when it flutters on the water it is

very much like the engraving in the plate; but when it sails down the

surface, the wings lie flat on its back, and as soon as it touches the

water it drops its eggs; the trout take it freely for about a week in

this month, with the gravel or spider fly,--dun body, black hackle, and

woodcock wings; some use lead-coloured body.



No. 9. THE BLACK PALMER, OR HACKLE.--The body is made of yellow floss

silk, ribbed with silver tinsel, and two short fibred black hackles

struck on from the tail to the shoulder. Hook No. 8.--Vary the body of

this fly with peacock harl without the silver, and it will be a capital

one for light clear water on No. 12 hook. Use the cow-dung fly on windy

days, with the above-named one.



No. 10. THE DUN FOX FLY.--The body is made of the fur found on the neck

of the fox next the skin, mixed with golden yellow mohair. The wings are

the wing feather of the starling or fieldfare, with two fibres of a

stiff honey dun cock hackle for tail; pick out the fur a little at the

shoulder for legs; hook No. 12. Never was there a better little fly

than this thrown on the water, it will kill fish any day in the year.

Put on the little black hackle, with peacock harl body with it as a drop

fly; and when the dun fox is used as a drop fly, put on the March brown

as a stretcher. There may be seen three shades of this fly on the water

at the same time occasionally; the other two shades are the ash and blue

fox,--the first is a very light dun colour of the fox cub's neck or

face, the other is of a darker blue shade; they are great favorites with

the trout, artificially; in mild weather throughout the summer, a small

wren and grouse hackle may be used with them, the bodies made very thin

and taper, and rather full at the shoulder--the wren with orange mohair

body, and the grouse with golden yellow floss silk body.



No. 11. THE DUN DRAKE.--The body is made of golden olive mohair, mixed

with hare's ear fur, the light and dark, and forked with two short

fibres of brown mallard. The wings are made of land-rail wing, and a

little brown mallard, mixed nicely together. Hook, No. 9. There is a

dark red, and a dark dun fly on the water at the same time as the

dun-drake, all of which will be found good ones till the end of May.

The Irish name for the dun drake, is "Coughlan,"[A] made thus:--The

wings, grey partridge tail; the body, light brown bear's fur, with

bright yellow mohair, hare's fur from the face, mixed altogether, forked

with two stripes of a dark mallard's feather, and a partridge hackle.

No. 8 hook. In Ireland they consider this the most useful fly they have

in April and May, as a stretcher, used with the little dun fox, and

black-red, (soldier fly).



No. 12. THE STONE FLY.--The body is made of brown mohair ribbed with

yellow silk, a tuft or tag of yellow mohair or silk at the tail, and a

little yellow mohair worked in under the shoulder, over which roll the

hackle, which should be of a brown-red colour; the wings are made of the

hen pheasant tail mixed with copper brown mallard, made full, and larger

than the body. No. 6 hook. If this fly is made of good colours, as above

described, hardly any large trout, in humour of taking, can well refuse

it. An odd one of them may be seen in March, when the weather is mild;

but in April and May, when it becomes more congenial to them, they

appear numerous towards the evening. Ribbed with gold twist, it makes a

famous grilse fly.



No. 13. THE YELLOW SALLY.--The body is made of buff-colored fur, and a

small yellow hackle for legs round the head; the wings are made of the

buff-coloured feather inside the wing of the thrush. No. 13 hook. This

is the forerunner of the Green Drake or May fly. The trout take this

little fly freely, and it is a most excellent killer on fine days, if

made according to the description. It will be found on the water till

the end of May. The partridge hackle is also good in this month.