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 cÆsar, 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 CÆsar. 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.)