ANGLING THAT " PREACHETH PATIENCE" 15 



as I suppose there seldom is before the great hatch 

 comes on. I had the smallest possible success, 

 wind and weather were against me. The big trout 

 were down amongst the larvae, with their tails 

 waggling out of the water. I left on the 3oth, and 

 the next day and the following week they were up, 

 and the Major and the Professor were there and 

 a fine time they had of it. Their friends all round 

 the country lived upon Itchen trout all through the 

 week. On the whole it proved to be as prolific a 

 May Fly season, both in rise of insect and rise of 

 trout, as they had experienced for some years. But 

 I was not there to see it. 



Friday, June 24. Arrived at my old quarters 

 on the Itchen, two o'clock. A very disappointing 

 day. I came here to fish, and I find a March wind 

 blowing, and at intervals driving rain not a bit 

 like the June that the poets sing about. Swallows 

 seem to be astonished at such rude weather ; they 

 can hardly breast the storm ; the birds are not 

 singing as they ought to be, and it looks dis- 

 couraging. I- had lunch, and waited indoors for 

 two hours, cogitating on the ill-luck which so fre- 

 quently accompanies my infrequent outings ; then 

 I put on my togs, and away to the river. No 

 rise no fly for two hours. I saw only six rises, 

 but I brought two brace of fine grayling to bank 

 and lost one. I am satisfied. 



Our water is too full of grayling, so I make no 

 scruple now about bagging them, for they are 

 really in fine condition, and they want thinning. 



