2 EASTER FLY FISHING ON THE ITCH EN 



trout to rise at, had they been so inclined; but 

 there they were, with their tails flapping about in 

 the air, and their heads deep down amongst the 

 grass and weeds, showing a kind of contempt for 

 the mere dry-fly fisherman. In truth I am inclined 

 to formulate a little theory of my own about these 

 sophisticated trout. There is undoubtedly, and it 

 has been noticeable for some time past, a growing 

 scarcity of flies on our waters. Why is it? Is it 

 not because our river is so persistently flogged for 

 trout all through the spring and summer, and for 

 grayling all through the autumn and winter, that 

 the fish have grown suspicious of these deceptive 

 insects floating above them, and so devote them- 

 selves more and more to the insect larvae which 

 they find below, and hence the scarcity of natural 

 flies on the surface ? This little theory will at all 

 events serve to explain the fact of the tailing we 

 did see on that first afternoonyand of the rise we 

 did not see. 



It has long since become an axiom that if you 

 have a fine Friday a fine Sunday will as surely 

 follow as night followeth day ; and, indeed, it does 

 so frequently turn out to be true that an exception 

 only proves the truth of it. Last Friday was one 

 of the loveliest, brightest, sunniest days I have 

 experienced during the days that have as yet passed 

 of this present changeful year 1898. On Sunday 

 morning we were actually weather-bound. All 

 through the night a strong south-westerly wind 

 brought up from the sea, not many miles away, a 



