86 AN OPEN CREEL 



down a fourth, and a black hackle put down a fifth, 

 while a big red sedge put down two at one cast. Then 

 I began to have doubts, and put on a blue dun, as 

 what fly was on the water seemed to be of that 

 character. This invaluable pattern put down about a 

 dozen fish with promptitude, and my doubts increased, 

 but there seemed to be no valid reason for changing it. 

 At last I reached the top of my beat a big pool 

 shelving out on to a perfect shallow. Here numbers 

 of fish were feasting on a splendid batch of duns, 

 which were plainly visible against the sky. My own 

 fly was visible, too, and it looked exactly like the 

 naturals. It put down those fish one by one until 

 only about six continued to feed. Five of them were 

 beyond my reach, and one, a monster, seemed to care 

 nothing about my fly. He was rising just on the edge 

 of the rapid at the head of the pool, and the blue dun 

 passed over him several times, leaving him unmoved. 

 My friend, who, being a better fisherman than I, had 

 succeeded in putting down all the fish in his own 

 section more quickly, and had come down to watch 

 me, questioned my ability to frighten this fish, but I 

 was not convinced. I looked through my fly-box and 

 found an enormous red sedge, built for the Kennet. 

 This I tied on and cast out, and I am pleased to say it 

 put the monster down at once. After this we went 

 home with the consciousness of something accom- 

 plished. But I cannot speak highly of the evening 

 rise as I have found it. 



