56 AN OPEN CREEL 



On second thoughts, I had to retract what I had said 

 about not believing him, and to admit that what he 

 said had happened had in effect happened. But, I 

 urged, he had stumbled on that unique occasion which 

 is called "once in a blue moon." Never, never would 

 he come upon the like again. Hyandry admitted that 

 this might be so, did not profess to explain the 

 phenomena, and thereafter kept silence. But though 

 silent, he was not idle, and to his good offices I 

 attribute an invitation which reached me for a day on 

 the water during the next week-end a day in which I 

 might be able to see whether Bank Holiday had been 

 exceptional or not, and to find out whether the big 

 trout in that part of the Rennet do take small fly in 

 April otherwise than once in a blue moon. 



I could not have had a pleasanter day for the 

 investigation warm, with a soft westerly breeze just 

 strong enough to help in a long cast, and with an 

 April shower or so to suit the season. The water, 

 when, at about 9 a.m., I stood on the well-remembered 

 wooden bridge gazing down the long, bright shallow, 

 looked clear and delightful, while the birds, for which 

 the estate is famous, sang lustily, as on such a day they 

 should. Altogether it was vastly satisfactory to be 

 abroad whether the big trout rose or whether they did 

 not, and I blessed my friend for procuring the chance 

 for me. Then I saw a fly, a medium olive, and soon 

 afterwards I became aware of rises some little way 

 downstream, also of commotions. Hurrying down to 

 look, I found that the rises were due to several small 

 trout, the commotions to big grayling, which had 

 evidently just spawned or were about to spawn. No 



