be carefully and diligently fished; but
as a general rule, wherever you see a fish rise, have a try for him. In
the Spring and Autumn, your diversion with the artificial fly is much
more certain than during the Summer months, but even then there are
certain days, (especially if the wind be Easterly), that they will not
take even the natural fly, and I have on such days seen thousands of
flies on the water, yet scarcely a fish on the move. When the fish rise
freely at the natural fly, and also rise, but do not take those you
offer, you may safely conclude your fly is not what suits, so try them
with something different. The best plan is to catch the natural, and
make the artificial fly as close a copy as possible, for the nearer you
approach to nature the greater in all cases is your chance of success.
And here, in concluding this chapter on Fly Fishing, let me advise
every angler to make or learn to make his own flies; by so doing he
will never be at a loss for a fly to suit the fickle Trout. Really,
many of the flies from the tackle shops look neat and gaudy enough, but
like Hodge's razors, are they not made to sell? When a man makes a fly
for himself, he makes, I take it, to kill.

THE ANGLING MONTHS.

MARCH.--During this month the fells and hills of north Yorkshire and
Durham are frequently capped with snow, which, dissolved by the
increasing power of the sun, fills rivers and brooks with what is
usually termed snow broth, which, accompanied with chilling east or
north-east winds, effectually retard angling operations. Trout however
keep gradually improving in condition, and from the middle to the end
of the month will, under the influence of a kindly atmosphere, rise
tolerably well at the fly during the middle of the day. The worm is
also taken in brooks after rain. But as a fly fishing month, March
seldom affords, in the north of England at least, any good or certain
diversion. In the face however of all obstacles, some really keen hands
will wet their lines, and if the weather is at all genial, may succeed
in taking a few fish.

The advent of our annual visitor, the swallow, indicates, or nearly so,
when fly fishing commences with some certainty of sport;[3] you will
observe but few flies on the water, (and consequently no inducement to
fish to be on the look out), before those great insect killers appear.
The principal flies for the month, are the March Brown, the Blue
Dun,[4] and small Black, or Light