THE COW DUNG FLY.
The Cow Dung Fly is a good and enticing fly, it is easily procurable, as its name intimates, on foil left by cattle: if the water is low and clear, with a brisk wind stirring, you may use it advantageously, because the wind usually carries great quantities of them upon the water, which induce the fish to rise. These flies are found from May to October; fish with them in the same way as the Flesh Fly; a No. 2 hook is quite large enough for them. Wherever you see a fish rise, when fishing with this or the Flesh Fly, you may count upon him as your own four times out of six, if you only contrive to make a light and dexterous cast, over the place where you observe the fish rise. Dapping or Dibbing, or perhaps more properly Dipping,—this is another method of using the natural flies, and a very killing way too; your rod for this fishing must be of a good length, with a stiff top; your line composed solely of good, fine, strong gut, must be about but not less than a yard in length,—put your flies on the same sized hooks, and after the same way as you are directed to adopt in the other method where a longer line is used. Having stationed yourself out of sight, behind a bush, tree or rock, let your fly drop gently on the surface of the water, keep lifting and letting it fall so as just to cause the slightest perceptible dimple on the water, and if there is a fish at all hungry in your locality, you are pretty sure to have him. If a good fish is hooked, let your winch line go, because he will struggle furiously when he feels the hook, and the hold might give way, provided you were too hasty and anxious to land him. In dibbing, almost any kind of fly will answer. The day suitable for this should be warm, and the water rather low and clear.
LIST OF PALMER FLIES FROM MARCH TO OCTOBER.
The following list of flies will take fish in all Trouting streams of Yorkshire, Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmoreland.
| MARCH. | JULY. |
| Dark Brown. | Orange Fly. |
| Great Whirling Dun. | Wasp Fly |
| Early Bright Brown. | Black Palmer. |
| Blue Dun. | July Dun. |
| Little Black Gnat. | |
| APRIL. | AUGUST. |
| Dark Brown. | Late Ant Fly. |
| Violet Fly. | Fern Fly. |
| Little Whirling Dun. | White Palmer. |
| Small Bright Brown. | Pale Blue. |
| Harry Long Legs. | |
| MAY. | SEPTEMBER. |
| Dun Cut. | Peacock Harl. |
| Stone Fly. | Camel Brown. |
| Camlet Fly. | Late Badger. |
| Cow Dung Fly. | September Dun. |
| JUNE. | OCTOBER. |
| Stone Fly. | Same Flies as in March. |
| Ant Fly. Little Black Gnat. | |
| Brown Palmer. | |
| Small Red Spinner. |
It is best to make your Flies in a warm room, or in warm weather out of doors,—your silk will then wax kindly, which is of great consequence in making Flies.
The three best winged Flies for Spring, are the Red Fly, Blue, Dun and Brown.
The three principal Flies for Autumn are the little Whirling Blue, Pale Blue, and Willow Fly.
February.—Red Fly.