Stoddart

[Traditionalist]

THOMAS TOD STODDART  The Art of Angling as Practised in Scotland ( 2nd Ed, 1836 )

FLIES.

A GREAT deal has been offered upon this matter by various writers, which we deem absurd and unnecessary. Trout are no doubt nice and capricious feeders ; but any pretensions in anglers to classify and distinguish their favourite flies, according to the month, are almost totally without reason. The colours of water and sky are the only indicators which can lead us to select the most killing hook, and even these are often deceptive. We have fished in one stream where dark, and, in the next, red flies, took the lead. There is no trusting to the fancy in certain places. On Tweed, we have seen it veer about, like the wind, in one moment, without a note of preparation. Most rivers, however, are more steady ; and when the water is of a moderate size, may be relied on with at most two sorts of flies all the year round. For ourselves, our maximum in every Scottish stream is reduced to only four descriptions of artificial flies, with one or other of which we engage to catch trout over all the kingdom. Knowledge and practice have convinced us of the needlessness of storing up endless and perplexing varieties, which some do, to look knowing and scientific.

Foremost is the fly commonly called the Professor's, after Professor Wilson of Edinburgh. The wings are formed of a mottled, brown feather, taken from the mallard or wild-drake ; the body is of yellow floss silk, rather longish, and wound about close to the head with a fine red or black hackle ; tails are often used, but we think them unnecessary. Instead of a yellow silk-body, we sometimes adopt one of pale green, especially in loch fishing.

Our next fly is of a sombre cast. The wings are formed of the woodcock, snipe, or lark
feather, it is no matter which ; the body is of hare's ear, darker or lighter, as it pleases the fancy. Our third fly is dubbed with mouse or water-rat hair, and hath wings of the starling or the fieldfare. Our last is a plain hackle, black or red, without wings, and called commonly the Palmer. These flies are almost our only sorts for trouting with, and we have them of all sizes, down to the minutest midge.

And now, as to the manner of dressing them, we shall be fitly brief, inasmuch as careful instructions on this point are to be met with in most works upon angling. These, however, are over-complex and refined to be readily understood and followed, and therefore we shall unfold in a few sentences our more simple method. Practice alone can bestow neatness and expedition in this kind of manufacture, which, we opine, is needful for all zealous anglers. Our materials for the making up of flies are as follow : Hooks, and small round gut ; a pair of brass nippers for twisting hackles ; a point for dividing the wings ; a pair of fine scissors ; orange, yellow, and green silk thread of all sizes ; good cobblers' wax enclosed in a piece of soft leather ; a hare's ear ; some brown wild-drake, teal, and pheasant feathers ; the fur of a mouse, squirrel, and water-rat ; a few wings of lark, snipe, landrail, and starling ; and lastly, red and black hackles, taken from the neck and head of an old cock at Christmas ; these should be fully formed and free from softness. Plovers' herls, and those of the peacock, are used by some ; yet we deem them superfluous, as also tinsel, except for large flies.

Commencing your operations, the first step is to lay out the intended wings and body before you ; wax your silk, and applying one end of it to the gut and hook together, wrap them both round four or five times, commencing a little below the end of the shank, and proceeding downwards ; you then fasten, by drawing the disengaged end of the thread through under the last turn of the wrapping. Work the silk upwards to where you commenced, then take your wings, which are still unseparated, and lay them along your hook, so that their extremity or tips shall reach its curve ; twirl the thread twice round the upper part, which lies along the shank top ; then, taking it under, press firm, and clip off the unnecessary portion of the feather ; divide with your point or penknife, so as to form the two wings ; take up the silk betwixt them, and wrapping again round at the head, bring it back crosswise ; then lift your hackle, and lay the root of it down along your hook ; whip the thread over, as far as your first fastening ; seize the top of the hackle with your nippers, and whirl it round in the same manner ; fasten and lengthen the body to your liking with fresh floss silk ; fasten once more, and your fly is made.

This last fastening ought in our opinion to be the same as that used in arming bait-hooks, for which we quote Hawkins's directions : '* When you are within about four turns of the bend of the hook, take the shank between the fore-finger and thumb of the left hand, and place the silk close by it, holding them both tight, and leaving the end to hang down ; then draw the other part of the silk into a large loop, and with your right hand turning backwards, continue the whipping for four turns, and draw the end of the silk (which has all this while hung down under the root of your left thumb) close, and twitch it off." When the body of your fly is required to be of hare's ear or mouse skin, pull out a small quantity of the fur, and lay it along- the silk, after the wings are formed ; twist together, and then wrap as if the thread were bare, and fasten as above. In making flies, keep all tight, guard against heavy wings and much dubbing ; the fibres of your hackle ought to be short and lie near the head of the fly ; they are intended to resemble legs, which in the real insect are always so placed. Such is our method of fly-dressing, commendable both for its simplicity and expedition. It differs, we find, somewhat from that generally practised, being in a manner self-taught, and not encumbered with any unnecessary display.

And here let us notice what we have seen broached concerning artificial flies, namely, that they are seized by trout for no likeness that they possess to any living insect, but merely because of their motion and seeming self-existence. We can barely see what is meant by this distinction. The illustration, however, follows. Anglers may observe, say these theorists, that when fish rise well, they will not refuse your most maimed and torn imitation ; nay, a bare hook, with hardly a vestige of feather upon it, will entice them as readily as your most carefully dressed fly. This we admit, for we are of opinion that colour and size alone cause the allurement needful to raise trout, and that shape is of small matter. Still we have no doubt that the artificial fly is taken as a known and particular insect ; sometimes in a drowning and sometimes in an active condition ; since, be it observed, in many rivers the caprice of trout is truly remarkable on this point, and they will reject at times, and on clear water, where every insect is vi- sible, those very flies which shortly before were seized with avidity ; and this rejection is owing, as may be seen, to a new succession of ephemerae, occasioned by an atmospherical change, at which period the imitation alone, as far as concerns colour and size, is the proper persuasive wherewith to ensnare fish. Yet, with regard to the artificial salmon fly, we pretend not to guess for what it is taken, as, from the manner of using it, its motions are altogether unlike those of any insect existing, and very unlike those of the dragon fly, which it is made to resemble. We therefore agree with the theorists as to it, that it is taken by hungry fish foolishly and ignorantly, and on account merely of its seeming existence.

While on salmon flies, we may notice some of the most effective kinds for Scottish rivers. These may be reduced to three or four ; and first, the professor's on a large scale, with its mallard wings, yellow silk body, and red or black hackles, only let the hackles be brought down somewhat farther on the hook than is done on the trouting fly." Second, wings of a mottled turkey or pheasant tail feather, with brown or lemon-coloured mohair body, thread of gold tinsel, and light brown or cinnamon -coloured hackle ; the upper part, to resemble the head, may be varied with a little dark mohair or a black hackle. Third, a dark fly, winged with deep brown turkey feathers, and white tips ; the body of black or purple mohair, black hackle and silver tinsel, with a scarlet or crimson tuft at the tail, and yellowish head. Somewhat similar to this is what is called the Maule fly, after Mr Maule of Edinburgh, a keen and successful salmon fisher. The wings of this very effective insect should be formed of mottled turkey feather, its body of camlet wool surmounted with silver twist, and a black-edged brown hackle ; a tip formed of light orange or lemon-coloured wool under a small portion of drake's feather, ought likewise to be added. We have always found this a very killing fly, use it where we might.

Next to these may be classed the gaudy Irish fly, of which Sir Humphry Davy has given a full descrip- tion. There are no special rules for the composition of this fanciful lure. A general one seems to enforce the introduction of the golden pheasant's feather under the wings. It is erroneously supposed, both on Tweedside and in the north, that the Irish and other gaudy flies are all a hum ; accordingly, such as use them are not a little ridiculed by the prejudiced clodhoppers of those districts, who insist upon their own sagacity and experience. Now, we inform all who wish to angle successfully, that there is no dependence to be placed upon stubborn prejudice ; and we further advise them to be shy of being advised by a downright ignoramus. Truly, as for ourselves, we can say without boast, that, in the matter of Irish flies, we have upset before their eyes the doctrines of such as pertinaciously held them to be useless on our Scottish waters. Nay, we feel assured that salmon will rise at them, when unwilling to stir a fin towards a duller and less glaring morsel and that too, strange to say, not when the stream is large, thick, and rapid, but rather when it is greatly reduced and clear. Sea trout, especially, are fond of something gaudy. A blue or green silk body and gold tinsel, with wings of the Guinea-fowl or teal feather, is very killing among them at times, however, they prefer a plain black hackle.

It may be remarked as generally the case with regard to our northern waters, that such as run eastward are by many degrees more deep and dark-coloured than those running towards the west, and that their salmon are more shy and capricious, although ensconced in deeper and better sheltered pools. Take as an instance two rivers in Rossshire, the Conan falling into Cromarty Firth, and the Carron into Loch Carron, opposite Skye. Of this there is no doubt, that the former, which we allow is by much the larger stream, contains at all seasons ten times as many fish as the latter ; nay, a single mile of its water is worth the whole length of Carron ; not that it produces in proportion a higher rental, for, from its nature, it cannot be netted with such advantage ; but this we affirm, that it is more plentifully stocked with fish, and offers a succession of pools seemingly far better adapted for angling in, and yet there is no dependence upon it, as upon Carron, where with the rod one is more certain to kill salmon grilses and sea trout in any weather and state of the river. And it may be noted as singular, that the flies used on Carron are particularly uninviting to a Conan fish, being too bright for its dark massy waters, although not so for the clear limpid streams of western Ross-shire. We might have contrasted in the same manner the Shin and Ewe waters but we proceed rather to close our remarks upon salmon flies. Among other combinations, yellow wings and hackles, although forming a glaring fly, we have seen used on Clyde with great success. Peacock feathers sometimes make excellent wings and tufts for our Scottish stream fishing. Salmon flies are of different sizes, according to the seasons, and are not always regulated in this respect, as some aver, by the mood of the water. A large hook ought to be used when the fish first begin to ascend, and especially near the sea. This, however, is no strict rule, but a mere general principle, which circumstances should be allowed to govern. Smaller hooks are most successful high up, and during close time. After the salmon have spawned, they become less shy, and, on their return to the salt water, will leap almost at any sort of insect.

And now, let us notice how the changes of water and sky influence fish in their choice of flies : and first, as to the water. When a stream is small and clear, a hare's ear body, especially during spring, kills well ; also the dun or mouse-body fly, and small black hackles, at a later season. If large and brown, the red professor suits best : next to it a plain palmer, both of which are efficient all the year over. When in ordinary trim, we angle with any sort, being more nice concerning the size than the colour of our flies ; and this we remark, that in much-used rivers the trout reject large insects, and rise freest at midges and the smaller ephemerae. This is particularly visible on the Clyde about Lanark, where a very minute fly is requisite ; and yet on this river, during summer, large fish are caught with the green-drake and May-flies, in opposition to the general liking.

In Highland streams trout are by no means so sagacious a fish as in those of the south. You may catch them with bread and cheese at the end of a cable, they are so wrapt in greed and ignorance. Treat them invariably to large hooks, for their gullets are wondrously capacious, and they make no objections to honest rations. Give them red and black flies in abundance, the most tough, indigestible morsels you can well invent ; they have no false appetites about them, and scorn your tit-bits and nail-lengths. As to the influence of the sky in determining the food of fish, let it be noted that artificial flies are taken best on dull windy days, when natural ones are rare ; also in the mornings and evenings, during bright hot weather. A powerful sun, however, is unfavourable for fly-fishing, as it breeds huge swarms of insects for trout to feed on, and also relaxes their inclination to stir freely. Close weather, portending thunder or rain, white clouds, and a storm, all hinder fish from rising well. During such times they remain near the bottom, or in their usual hiding-places.

Warm summer nights bring good sport if the fly angled with be large and black. A crow's feather wrapt round a bait-hook maybe used successfully, especially in deep still waters and lochs, near the side, where the hugest fish prowl in search of food. White flies in imitation of moths are next thing to useless, though many anglers advise them. Recommend us always to pitch-black flies for night fishing. Many is the fish we have hooked, not a yard's distance from the shore, with this expedient. What they are taken for, nobody knows ; beetles or mice, it is of little consequence. Loch flies in general should be large, and in spring of a dark colour, progressively becoming lighter the nearer you approach autumn. Green bodies and grasshoppers we have found excellent in many places, especially in Highland lochs. A killing fly may be constructed from a hen's feather and a twitch of wool taken out of an old carpet, when no other materials are at hand. We remember having successful recourse to this expedient, while on an angling excursion in Inverness-shire. Some anglers greatly use the natural fly at certain seasons, and no doubt it is a killing bait, but somewhat troublesome to collect.

The May-flies are those best adapted for this kind of angling. They ought to be gathered previously from under stones by the water-side, and kept in a small flannel bag. When used, transfix two on your hook at the same time, and angle as you would with worm, only nearer the surface, and with a short line. Two varieties of the wild oats, avena fatua and avena sterilis, which closely resemble a natural fly, are employed in the northern districts of Scotland by trout and salmon fishers.

To conclude our chapter upon flies, we must again express an absolute contempt for all pedantry upon this matter. We like systematic anglers, but not such as talk learnedly of the art, who classify and extend their artificial entomology into so many varieties of the Phryganidae, Ephemeridae, Philopotomidae, and Leptoceridae, as some do ; calm, sober souls, who fetch out their whole dressing apparatus to the riverside, beat up the reeds and alders, and then squat down leisurely the best part of the morning to make their humble imitations ; while we, keener and less fastidious, are diverting a huge salmon down the stream, hooked at the first throw with a common trout hackle. Let your supply of flies be small and fresh, and the means of replenishing it always at hand ; thus you will save useless expense, and remedy interminable confusion.

( End of Chapter on Flies MC)