FOOD-SUPPLIES AND RELEVANT MATTERS 133 



a short time. But the sky was bad, and they 

 caine short. We had six out of thirteen foul- 

 hooked, and pricked and lost more. During 

 all May less and less fly to be seen, unless 

 a few 'iron duns/ black gnats, and a few 

 'Yellow Sallys.' Even the iron duns a 

 cold-weather fly were scarcer than usual, 

 and we killed with the imitation ! (Anglers 

 will know what that signifies.) 



We had temperature of water recorded 

 between 42 (but colder before that when our 

 thermometers were not in evidence) and to 

 50 by the middle of May ; and of air from 

 42 and 44 to 56 till the 5th May. Then 

 back again went the readings of both air and 

 water amongst the 40's ; skies dark and cold ; 

 little or no sun for days and weeks together ; 

 no fly ' up ' ; no rise on ; larger trout in poor 

 condition (see measurements and weights). 

 On 26th May air was 46 at 9 A.M. and water 

 43 at 11.30, and the days often got colder 

 towards midday. 



These were combined with hideous weather 

 dark, bleak, and cold ; with high-running 

 water, coloured, and never reaching the low 

 levels at all, getting amber but scarcely ever 



