THE SENSITIVE MAY-FIX.
The May-fly, or Green Drake, that excites the zeal of the more amateur fisherman, appeared last week on streams in the Home Counties ; but the rise was small and suddenly arrested. This strange creature not only varies greatly--by as much as a month—in its date but seems to have the same power as some birds of delaying emergence, even at the last moment, if a chill is in the air. For a creature that may live but a day, that is a true ephemerid, that exists solely for the love-flight, it is very necessary to find immediate sun- shine to dry its gauzy wings and give it the power of easy flight. So even the creature in its case below the water is curiously sensitive to the upper weather ; and this is the explanation of the false rumours that sometimes irritate fishermen. They hear that the May-fly is up on their favourite stream, and hurrying there have failed so much as to " start a wing ! " Not the report but the north wind has deceived them. It is not often that the rise has proved much more jerky and spasmodic than it has done this May, at any rate on some Midland streams.
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