THE BIRMINGHAM WATERWORKS 41 



I tried a variety of flies, but as none of them did 

 much execution I cannot speak of their special kill- 

 ing qualities. Many of them adorn the alders fring- 

 ing this terrible river. The Yellow Dun is evidently 

 the fly now on the water, and a very prettily made 

 Red Ant, by Miss Ellis, of Exmouth, certainly 

 attracted many rises too short to get hold. I 

 may say that I lost a large number of fair trout 

 through this way they have of coming short. This 

 was the fly that caught my blooming chub ! 



Thursday, July 14. I fished for an hour or two 

 in the Rock House Hotel water at a cost of half-a- 

 crown, and caught two chub ! I had previously 

 paid los. 6d. for six days. 



The rector of the parish has the right over two 

 miles of the most charming bit of the river, and 

 to fish there his charge is only a shilling a day. 

 Surely two miles are as good as seven for one day's 

 fishing. There are also miles of this curiously 

 winding river close at hand, as it were, where the 

 fishing is quite free. 



For anglers having no other ties, of course the 

 Rock House Hotel is the place to go to. I am 

 told by friends who have stayed there that it is 

 most comfortable in every respect, and the charges 

 are moderate. It is well situated for those who 

 want to take the benefit of the waters in a double 

 sense for those who fish, the river is close at 

 hand ; for those who drink, the Park Pump-room 

 is near by, where you can drink quarts of saline, or 

 sulphur, or chalybeate, for a few pence a day. 



