THE DERBYSHIRE WYE. 91 



are the best all the year round. I do not go so far as 

 this, but, unquestionably, they must occupy a foremost 

 place in every angler's stock for Derbyshire fishing. 



My own cast, an "all the year round" cast, is a small- 

 winged dun for point; first dropper, a dun bumble; second 

 dropper, the little Derbyshire red ; top dropper, the stone 

 midge. This cast I use as a standard. Of the excellent 

 qualities of the small black fly (the stone midge) I have 

 only recently been made aware. I use for point-fly in 

 early spring, a large dun ; in March there is nothing like 

 it. I remember well my astonishment when first told of 

 this on the Wye. The take in one day in spring was eight 

 brace of the finest grayling ; and this on a non-rising day, as 

 I thought. I vary the cast in summer by using for a point- 

 fly, either the dotterill hackle, or the sand-fly hackle (the 

 corn-crake of the north), or the small yellow-winged dun. 

 These three flies represent that numerous class, the duns 

 and browns that cloud a summer water. The colour 

 and the fine, silky, sensitive hackle that is on them 

 are the attractions. This cast is not only used by me 

 on the Wye, but on Clyde and Tweed I have found 

 them very satisfactory ; and in September I used with 

 success the dotterill and sand-fly for a sea-trout cast at 

 Galway. 



As regards the procuring of flies, Mr. Ogden has an 

 agent at Bakewell, Mrs. Shenton, who keeps the toy shop 

 in the Square. It is well to look at the stock ; many a 

 good idea may be picked up by so doing. Mr. Hensberg 

 also, the civil and obliging keeper of the water, who lives 

 in the ivied cottage on the hill^ (a good fisherman and 



