Flyfisher''''s entomology, Ronalds 1901

THE FLY-FISHEE'S ENTOMOLOGY WITH COLOURED EEPRESEXTATIONS OF THE NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL INSECT, AND A FEW OBSERVATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS ON TROUT AND GRAYLING FISHING BY ALFRED RONALDS M'xth ^lucntij Coloured f latcs TENTH EDITION " Devouring Ephemerals Can you not suffer the poor insects to sport out their day must be insipid eating— but here are some savoury exceedingly they ! Tliey ? carry sauce piquante in their tails please There Hold fast, I Do try the taste of this Bobber-but any of tlie three you Kirby— for that's a Whopper"— CArw/o^^er North LONGMANS, GEEEN, AND CO 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK AND BOMBAY "^1901 ^^ "V ^'>^::!i!"^ PEEFACE TO THE TENTH EDITION Mr Ronalds died in where he passed the his 1860 in Australia, last eighteen years of life In preparing the tenth edition of uncle's present book it was a natural desire of the editor to fly fishing, as add a chapter on dry practised at the present day Further consideration, him his however, satisfied that the peculiar merit of the " Fly Fisher's Entomology " and its well-earned place for the last sixty-four years in the estimation and on the shelves of those votaries of fly-fishing who delight in the PREFACE VI literature of their favourite sport would be best maintained by keeping the book substantially as Not that the can ever admirable plate, it be was written.^ work so series long is out of date, or as Mr Eonalds' of etchings on copper- done from the natural remain fly, There has been no development in Blue Duns or Palmers, nor any change in the times and situations, so well described by him, in which the various may flies be expected to produce the desired results when properly exhibited to the expectant trout or grayling But the first little flies made edition in those following more accurate the addition has been list described, of the specific and some it to A names of slight altera- tions in the directions for tying, most of which were submitted to Mr Ronalds in Australia, and approved by him, constitute the chief alterations ^ Most of the original plates remain, but the effect of time has rendered necessary a certain amount of retouching in a few of them PREFACE Vll Some improvements have been made since his time in rods, hooks, flies, but to this day it is and floating believed that some of the best known fly-makers " tie from Ronalds." The its solid claims of the book on rest being the work of a clever, observant, and fisherman, successfid what he knew, and gave who wrote his of reader only the results of carefal observation of nature and long personal experience There one matter on is which the present editor ventures to submit his There views is no doubt that the high level of scientific accuracy to fly fishing which dry has been brought of late years has tended to throw the older fishino^ " and has science " dry." as is wet " somewhat way into the of shade, suggestions even led to the own monopoly of him who that fishes There can be no greater mistake, any one who well fished, tries his luck in the clear, and rapid streams of Derby- shire, for instance, will soon discover PREFACE Vlll not possible to It is in all waters, or fly water, it is dry fly fisherman is both wet and dry fish about the exact when tlie parts of any all some one may But, fly in and the complete he who can with fish say, why trouble and colour of your size presented to the fish as a tumbled mass of wet clinging feathers and mohair dragged or silk against the stream ? that thus It presented across or cannot be denied accepted, and is it accepted luith discrimination be accounted is this to is to be found way the imitated in even for ? How, then, The answer by a careful investigation of which so many by the angler caddis or the pupa is are of the flies bred The on the bottom, or attached to the under side of a root or weed ; then, at the moment of hatching, the winged insect, involved in the trans- parent covering which protects it rising to the surface, detaches itself its its resting-place while from and launches forth on upward journey This is the critical PREFACE IX moment when the feeding trout or grayling- ready for and probably he takes more is flies it, way than from the in this surface, and exercises equal discrimination in doing so Let any one consider how an oblongbody, buoyed up by the partial inflation of envelope, shooting upwards through a its troubled intermixture of currents, to behave, rendered With and the problem laid mology at likely any rate less obscure this endeavour principles of casting flies is is down to and of in the " justify the selection of Fly Fisher's Ento- " this tenth edition is submitted to the judgment of the fly-fishing public The a plates have been recoloured well-preserved copy of the edition of 1836 given by the author Sir from to his brother Francis Ronalds, F.R.S., in acknow- ledgment of his help in the scientific parts of the book, and a few footnotes have been added Considerations of space forbid the inclusion of previous Prefaces subsequent PREFACE to the first, but the concluding words of the Preface to the nintli edition (Piscator's) are too much to the point to be omitted use the words of Mr Bainbridge, to fly-fishing is so deeply fact indebted ' : " To whom It is a worthy of notice that although many persons have quitted other sports for the amusement oi fly-fishing, yet memory does not furnish a single instance of a fly-fisher deserting his occupation, and transferring his preference to rural sports.' any other of the J Temple : list " JamiarTj 1901 C Carter of PEEFACE TO THE FIEST EDITION The that Autlior of this it may work little entreats be considered and judged of as the labour, or rather the amusement, of an amateur ; whose chief object has been to facilitate to the Tyro in the and choice of art, artificial flies, elucidation^ derived the making on a plan of from personal expe- rience Having himself sorely felt the inade- quacy of mere verbal instructions to enable him to imitate the natural fly correctly, or even approximatively, and the of graphical illustrations by the principal little utility unaccompanied requisite, viz colour, he has been induced to paint both the natural and artificial flv from nature, to etch them 121 FLIES FOK AUGUST THE CINNAMON FLY No 40 This many can fly comes from a water pupa species resist the There are The larger ones being stronger force of rain and wind better than that represented, and are therefore not so well known to the fish on a windy day a heavy shower, and also both cases very great diversion with be used after If should may be In expected it IMITATION Fawn-coloured Body floss silk, tied on with thread of the same colour, silk Wings Feather of a yellow brown hen's wing, rather darker than the landrail's wing feather A Legs It is ginger hackle made buzz with grouse, or a a red hackle red hackle stained from the brown with copperas, and tied on the same body Hook No Eemarks long 3, So numerous are the species of Caddis Fly resembling the above, different on different waters, that the own observation A wren's round a hare's ear body, the rich brown tint angler must use his tail feather, will aid common to him wound in giving many of the genus, and the landrail's quill feather will be sufficientlv dark with this hackle, FLIES FOR SEPTEMBER 122 The Sheffield anglers use a fly they call Par- Eump, which may be tridge noticed here as proper for this part of the season Hook No floss) long; body, yellow silk (not 4, feather, partridge ; rump The head formed with copper-coloured peacock's herl good Derbyshire waters in killer It is is A the yellow-bodied Harry-long-legs THE BLUE BOTTLE No 41 This and the House Fly become blind and weak in this driven on month, and are therefore frequently very good sport The Blue may be water on windy days, when to the Bottle may be expected with them perhaps to be preferred is used until cold weather It sets in, especially after a frosty night IMITATION Body brown Bright blue silk thread, floss silk tied with light showing the brown at the head Wings Legs down Feather of the starling's wing Black hackle from a cock wrapped the principal part of the body Hook No 3, short — 12S FLIES FOR SEFTFMBKR To make wound upon it buzz, a dark dun hackle may be the above body Eemahks Tlie House or Shade Fly (Musca may be noticed here A make it thus, for July Wings From under covert feather domestica) angler used to first-rate : of water- hen's wing Blue starling feather Legs Body Light brown and pea-green wool mixed Green peacock's Head under the and three laps M'ings Hook A herl, 2, short jSTo first-rate killer The larvcE of various flesh-flies, of which, under the name of " gentles," even the fly-fisher at times avails himself to conceal his hook, have The eggs laid " any fish or the short space of two a curious history of their own by the parent fly, when she " blows sometimes hatch in flesh, hours It has been found (by Eedi) that these maggots, of which one day it took thirty to weigh a grain, weighed the next day seven grains each : having thus in twenty-four hours become about 200 times heavier than before (Kirhy and Spence, vol ii p 398) When full grown, these gentles quit their prey, to burv, and assume the pupa state ]24 flip:s for September THE WHIRLING BLUE No 42 DUN This comes from a water nympha, fly lives about three days as shown, then turns to a Light Bed Spinner in It is season until the middle of October, and on the water chiefly in blustering cold weather second edition of the Yellow to be a April has been supposed It If compared with rather smaller and that it Dun of will be found more of a ocrino-er o colour IMITATION Squirrel's red Body brown yellow mohair, tied with yellow fur mixed with silk thread well waxed One or two whisks Tail of a pale ginger hackle- Feather from a starling's wing not Wings very light Pale ginger hackle Legs Hook No The Red Spinner In making plate fiiz-ure It it, 2, Grayling lives three or four days reference ma}^ be had to flg o, must be rather lighter ihan that 125 FLIES FOR SEPTEMBER THE LITTLE PALE BLUE No 43 DUN This fly comes from a water nympha, lives or three days as shown, then changes to a dehcate fly than that represented It is two more upon the water at the same time as the Whirling Blue (No 42), and lasts until the end of the fishing season well It is very abundant, and taken equally by both Trout and Grayling IMITATION Very pale blue Body little fur mixed with a very yellow mohair Wings Legs Feather from the sea swallow The palest blue hackle to be had Hook No 1, Graylinor To make it buzz, a sea swallow's feather only may be wound upon the same body The metamorphosis of this fly has very transparent wings Remarks " WiUow Fly." It is too delicate to This is called be imitated by some anglers the 126 FLIES FOR septkmbp:r THE WILLOW No 44 This WITHY) FLY comes from a water fly extremely abundant during next, and even days it may February this larva It is month and the On later in the season very fine be even found on the water in It stream, and (or is generally across flutters the best imitated buzz fashion IMITATION Body yellow Mole's fur (a very spun upon little) silk A Wings' and Legs dark dun hen's hackle with the edges strongly tinged a copper colour : sometimes called a golden dun feather, or a yellow dun Hook No As Remarks in October, is, clusively, the 1, Grayling the fishing at this season, and or should be, for Grayling ex- hackle may be now coming form of No recalled to the angler's notice, as again into season, and killing the largest This and the Willow Fly, made fish as above, or with the addition of wings from the dark part of a starling's quill feather, are good killers in the Derwent till November In the excellent manual, called " Prac- by "Arundo," " Shamrock Fly." tical Fly-fishing," called the little the above is ; PALMERS FOR THE FISHING THE EED PALMER No 45 This is 127 SEASO^' the caterpillar of Arctia caja, or the Garden Tiger Moth I have found this Palmer more abundantly than any other early recommend spring, and can as the water changes pillar it the in as for fishing after a flood is fit on windy days the use of soon ; also Cuvier remarks that this caterskin its growth, changing slightly ten its times, during its colours IMITATION Peacock herl with a red cock's hackle wrapped over and it, tied with light of the Drinker It brown or red silk This corresponds also with the larvge thread may be Moth varied {Odonestis potatoria) by a ruhy stained hackle which answers well on the Dove Hook No 6, Palmers No 46 This is THE BROWN PALMER the caterpillar of Spilosoma luhrice- peda, or the Spotted Buff Ermine Moth, found on nettles, &c., in July and August PALMERS FOR THE FISHING SEASON 128 It catch will season, and fish throuohout the fishing may be used with most success after a flood and on windy days IMITATION Mulberry-coloured worsted spun on brown silk, and a brown stained cock's hackle wrapped over the whole It may be varied (to imitate S Menthastri) by making the body of ostrich lierl, of a drab colour, and winding a grizzled hackle over Hook No No 47 6, Palmers THE BLACK AND RED PALMER This is the caterpillar of Arctia caja, or the Garden Tiger Moth, full-grown It is used in May, June, and July principally IMITATION Black ostrich herl ribbed with gold a red cock's hackle wrapped over it twist, and This Fly Fb.XIX p/; hi ' PALMERS FOR THE FISHING SEASON may be made Trout of 3, and large, 4, and 129 Thames will kill large weight, and Salmon lbs The Trout, with great success feather at the shoulder should be a large furnace hackle from game cock, and should be wound thickest there the rumj} of a should be shown clearly at the the ostrich herl The gold tail, twist and the tail- liook should be large and strong Hook No Palmers 7, Not many years ago, a gentleman had just arrived, about the middle of June, as a stranger at a Fishing Station tlie on the Thames Meetins" head fisherman of the place by the water- side, What he asked " Fly was most successful in Thames Trout " and receiving no immediate reply, suggested the above " Large raising the " Eed Palmer." it " shall give It's it ; was the " ! repl}^ else in useless here, however." the first trial, "pe?'- : said the gentleman, Trout everywhere raises large land." " ! " Indeed fectly useless." " Oh no there Eng- " Well, I nevertheless." That evenino- the p'entleman went down about half-2Jast six, a Trout of and about seven o'clock had landed 3-| lbs with a fly made as above Another evening he hooked and played a and lost it Subsequently he took two larger, one morning, before weighed 5-J lbs ; a.m., the larger of which and various others K PALMERS FOR THE FISHING SEASON 130 The Large Eed Palmer was the " " for could he used Show Trout there ever plenty of gold at the feather be a tail hestfiij that after ; and let your good black near the head, and shade A off to a rich game more and shows more lightly, than other large red The flies hackle open and close as stream, and it displays advantage A hackle life drawn across the colours to the best its never on is its back The Black and Eed, or Large Eed, Palmer, ever be a standard Trout falls in the water, elastic fibres of the it is fl}-^ of this kind fly will For a Dropper, fly a smaller fly of similar materials, on a single hook (No be found a good accompani- 7), will That ment kind by the Trout The taken for a beetle of some this is is highly probable caterpillar of the common on nettles that of the Drinker Moth Both on rank grass name Woolly-hears in of Garden Tiger Moth is during the autumn and spring is abundant rejoice some in ; in spring- the familiar places Before these spin their cocoons, which the}' in May and June, they wander from their food often to a sfreaf distance : are called Palmers and from It is circumstance probably during these pilgrimages mostly that they fish this fall throuoh various mischances a pre}^ to the 131 INDEX TO FLIES DESCRIBED Alder Fly, Ant Ash Gold-eyed Gauze-wing, Golden Dun Midge, 76 96 Flies, 112 Grannoni, 80 Fly, 88 August Dun, Bent Hopper, 116 112 Black Ant, 1 Black Caterpillar, 84 Black Gnat, 88 Black Midge, 88 Black and Red Palmer, 128 Black Silver Twist, 112 Blue Bottle, 120 Blue Dun, 60 Brown Palmer, 127 Caddis Cadow, 108 Flies, 121 100 Fly, 88 Gi'avel-bed, 80 Great Dark Drone, 64 Great Red Spinner, 68 Green Drake, 100 Green Tail, 80 Grey Drake, 100 Hawthorn Fly, 84 Hazel Fly, 104 Hoppers, 112 House Fly, 120 Humja-back, 96 Iron Blue Dun, 84 Cannon Cinnamon Fly, 116 Cob Fly, 68 Jenny Spinner, July Dun, 108 Coch-a-bonddu, 104 Light Mackerel, 68 Cock-tail, 60 Little Cow-dung Little Chap, 68 Little Dark Spinner, 92 Little Pale Blue Dun, 20 Fly, 64 Dark Dun, 108 Dark Mackerel, 84 Brown Dun, Little Yellow May Dun, 104 Dotterel Dun, 80 Down-looker, 88 Dun Drake, 68 March Brown, 68 Marlow Buzz, 104 May Flv 100 Merlin Fly, 108 Fern Fly, 96 Flat Yellow 92 92 Oak Fly, 88 88 ^o ii\Di:x Shorn Fly, 104 Silk Fly, 88 Silver Horns, 112 Sky Blue, 96 Soldier Fly, 96 Old Joan, GO Orange Dun, 100 Orange Fly, 116 Orl Fly, 96 Pale Evening Dun, lOH Spider Fly, 80 Stone Fly, 76 Peacock Fly, 68 Red Ant, 112 Red Fly, 60 Red Palmer, 127 Red Spinner, 60 Turkey Brown, Water 92 Cricket, 64 Whirlino- Blue Dun, 120 Willow Fly, 120 8and Fly, 76 Sand Gnat, 80 Withy Fly, 120 Woodcock Fly, 88 Saw Wren-tail, 112 Flv, 64 Shade Fly, 120 Shamrock Fly, 120 Yellow Dun, 80 Yellow Sally, 92 Shell Fly, 80 THE END PRIXTICn BT SPOTTISWOODE AND CO LTD., LONDON NEW-STREET SQUARE ...^^ "V ^'>^::!i!"^ PEEFACE TO THE TENTH EDITION Mr Ronalds died in where he passed the his 1860 in Australia, last eighteen years of life In preparing... A names of slight altera- tions in the directions for tying, most of which were submitted to Mr Ronalds in Australia, and approved by him, constitute the chief alterations ^ Most of the original... flies, but to this day it is and floating believed that some of the best known fly-makers " tie from Ronalds. " The its solid claims of the book on rest being the work of a clever, observant, and fisherman,