Body. Very dark brown floss silk, carried well on to the bend of the hook, and there made a trifle thicker. I have at times found it very successful when ribbed with narrow gold tinsel (00 size).
If the body be covered with thin india-rubber, it will be found to give the fly a most effective appearance.
Hackle. Three or four turns of a black cock’s hackle, put on as described in Chapter III.
Wings. From quill feathers of woodcock’s wings taken from opposite sides. The woodcock’s feathers have a somewhat shiny appearance; and as they are also the nearest in colour to the general colour of the Alder’s wings, I think they are the very best feathers to use. I have described the position in which to put the wings in [Chapter III].
Hook. No. 2—4, new size.
(Plates [I]. and [II]. show the natural Alder and the imitation as it should appear when finished.)
CHAPTER V
Caddis-flies (Trichoptera).
Every fisherman knows the Caddis-worm, which is the larval form of the Caddis-fly. As the number of different species of Trichoptera is very large, there are many different sorts of Caddis-worms. Some of these make cases which they fix to rocks; most of them however have cases which they drag about with them, and retire into it when any danger approaches. These cases vary much in shape and the materials of which they are made. Some species are however, as a rule to be found in almost every water. They are extremely interesting to watch, though, if they are accidentally introduced into a hatching trough containing trout ova, they will destroy the eggs. Caddis worms are taken freely by trout, and I have frequently found them, contained in their cases, in the stomachs of trout.