XV MAYFLY ON A SURREY STREAM ^ 



WHEN I got to the mill my first thought was 

 about the Mayfly. Was it up or not ? Usually 

 it appears on the little trout-stream on the borders 

 of Surrey and Hampshire, which members of the club 

 have the privilege of fishing, about June i, and I 

 had been told that the best of the sport was to be 

 looked for between the 5th and the loth. The hot 

 weather in May, however, might have hastened its 

 arrival. Ah ! there in the distance was the genial 

 countenance of R. Him it would be proper to 

 question. That he was already on the spot and 

 busily greasing his line looked like business. Mayfly ? 

 Why, yes, it had been up for some time, and fish were 

 taking it. But they discriminated. On the previous 

 day they had favoured dark wings and ignored yellow, 

 nor had there been any notable captures. Still, pros- 

 pects were cheery, and wasn't I going to begin ? The 

 suggestion was a sound one. Pleasure at finding 

 oneself at the mill on a sunny morning is apt to 

 waste many minutes in pottering and conversation. 

 There was R.'s April two-pounder, an unusual triumph 

 at that season, to be discussed; there were the cats 

 to be stroked (the mill possesses many cats, all 



