The Experienced Angler; or Angling Improved / Imparting Many of the Aptest Ways and Choicest Experiments for the Taking Most Sorts of Fish in Pond or River

by Robert Venables

OF THE ARTIFICIAL FLY.

Having given these few directions for the use of the natural fly of all sorts, and shewed the time and season of their coming, and how to find them, and cautioned you in the use of them, I shall proceed to treat of the artificial fly. But here I must premise, that it is much better to learn how to make a fly by sight, than by any written direction that can possibly be expressed, in regard the terms of art do in most parts of England differ, and also several sorts of flies are called by different names; some call the fly bred of the water cricket or creeper a May-fly, and some a stone-fly; some call the cad-bait fly a May, and some call a short fly, of a sad golden green colour, with short brown wings, a May-fly: and I see no reason but all flies bred in May, are properly enough called May-flies. Therefore, except some one that hath skill, would paint them, I can neither well give their names nor describe them, without too much trouble and prolixity; nor, as I alledged, in regard of the variety of soils and rivers, describe the flies that are bred and frequent each: but the angler, as before directed, having found the fly which the fish at present affect, let him make one as like it as possibly he can, in colour, shape, proportion; and for his better imitation let him lay the natural fly before him. All this premised and considered, let him go on to make his fly, which according to my own practice I thus advise.

First, I begin to set on my hook, placing the hair on the inside of its shank, with such coloured silk as I conceive most proper for the fly, beginning at the end of the hook, and when I come to that place which I conceive most proportionable for the wings, then I place such coloured feathers there, as I apprehend most resemble the wings of the fly, and set the points of the wings towards the head; or else I run the feathers, and those must be stripped from the quill or pen, with part of it still cleaving to the feathers, round the hook, and so make them fast, if I turn the feathers round the hook; then I clip away those that are upon the back of the hook, that so, if it be possible, the point of the hook may be forced by the feathers left on the inside of the hook, to swim upwards; and by this means I conceive the stream will carry your flies’ wings in the posture of one flying; whereas if you set the points of the wings backwards, towards the bending of the hook, the stream, if the feathers be gentle as they ought, will fold the points of the wings in the bending of the hook, as I have often found by experience. After having set on the wing, I go on so far as I judge fit, till I fasten all, and then begin to make the body, and the head last; the body of the fly I make several ways; if the fly be one entire colour, then I take a worsted thread, or moccoda end, or twist wool or fur into a kind of thread, or wax a small slender silk thread, and lay wool, fur, &c. upon it, and then twist, and the material will stick to it, and then go on to make my fly small or large, as I please. If the fly, as most are, be of several colours, and those running in circles round the fly, then I either take two of these threads, fastening them first towards the bend of the hook, and so run them round, and fasten all at the wings, and then make the head; or else I lay upon the hook, wool, fur of hare, dog, fox, bear, cow, or hog, which, close to their bodies, have a fine fur, and with a silk of the other colour bind the same wool or fur down, and then fasten all: or instead of the silk running thus round the fly, you may pluck the feather from one side of those long feathers which grow about a cock or capon’s neck or tail, by some called hackle; then run the same round your fly, from head to tail, making both ends fast; but you must be sure to suit the feather answerable to the colour you are to imitate in the fly; and this way you may counterfeit those rough insects, which some call wool-beds, because of their wool-like outside and rings of divers colours, though I take them to be palmer worms, which the fish much delight in. Let me add this only, that some flies have forked tails, and some have horns, both which you must imitate with a slender hair fastened to the head or tail of your fly, when you first set on your hook, and in all things, as length, colour, as like the natural fly as possibly you can: the head is made after all the rest of the body, of silk or hair, as being of a more shining glossy colour than the other materials, as usually the head of the fly is more bright than the body, and is usually of a different colour from the body. Sometimes I make the body of the fly with a peacock’s feather, but that is only one sort of fly, whose colour nothing else that I could ever get would imitate, being the short, sad, golden, green fly I before mentioned, which I make thus: take one strain of a peacock’s feather, or if that be not sufficient, then another, wrap it about the hook, till the body be according to your mind; if your fly be of divers colours, and those lying long ways from head to tail, then I take my dubbing, and lay them on the hook long ways, one colour by another, as they are mixed in the natural fly, from head to tail, then bind all on, and fasten them with silk of the most predominant colour; and this I conceive is a more artificial way than is practised by many anglers, who use to make such a fly, all of one colour, and bind it on with silk, so that it looks like a fly with round circles, but in nothing at all resembling the fly it is intended for: the head, horns, tail, are made as before. That you may the better counterfeit all sorts of flies, get furs of all sorts and colours you can possibly procure, as of bear’s hair, foxes, cows, hogs, dogs, which close to their bodies have a fine soft hair or fur, moccado ends, crewels, and dyed wool of all colours, with feathers of cocks, capons, hens, teals, mallards, widgeons, pheasants, partridges, the feather under the mallard, teal or widgeon’s wings, and about their tails, about a cock or capon’s neck and tail, of all colours; and generally of all birds, the kite, &c. that you may make yours exactly of the colour with the natural fly. And here I will give some cautions and directions, as for the natural fly, and so pass on to baits for angling at the ground.

1. When you angle with the artificial fly, you must either fish in a river not fully cleared from some rain lately fallen, that had discoloured it; or in a moorish river, discoloured by moss or bogs; or else in a dark cloudy day, when a gentle gale of wind moves the water; but if the wind be high, yet so as you may guide your tools with advantage, they will rise in the plain deeps, and then and there you will commonly kill the best fish; but if the wind be little or none at all, you must angle in the swift streams.

2. You must keep your artificial fly in continual motion, though the day be dark, the water muddy, and the wind blow, or else the fish will discern and refuse it.

3. If you angle in a river that is mudded by rain, or passing through mosses or bogs, you must use a larger bodied fly than ordinary, which argues, that in clear rivers the fly must be smaller; and this not being observed by some, hinders their sport, and they impute their want of success to their want of the right fly, when perhaps they have it, but made too large.

4. If the water be clear and low, then use a small bodied fly with slender wings.

5. When the water begins to clear after rain, and is of a brownish colour, then a red or orange fly.

6. If the day be clear, then a light coloured fly, with slender body and wings.

7. In dark weather, as well as dark waters, your fly must be dark.