290 AN OPEN CREEL 



surface food there was a good deal of fly on the water 

 caused me to meditate deeply, and I finally came to 

 the conclusion that I ought to have tried them with 

 quite small flies, not merely the loch patterns which had 

 been used as a change, but real imitations of the insects 

 on and in the water. Opportunity for testing this 

 theory properly did not come for some time (I had 

 some small results on one visit), but at last, in Sep- 

 tember, 1909, I found myself at Blagdon once more in 

 company with M., a very cunning fisher, who ties his 

 own flies, and can imitate anything on the spur of the 

 moment. We were both resolute to give the small fly, 

 especially the dry fly, a trial, and see whether some- 

 thing could not be done with it. 



Thundery skies, tearing winds, and driving rains 

 the mixed weather of our visit were much against us, 

 though they were not so hostile to the ordinary and 

 perhaps more productive kind of fishing. Still, we had 

 some results, such as they were. M., who set about 

 the business in the most resourceful manner, had better 

 results than I. The joint bag of three days confirms 

 me in the opinion that in some circumstances it would 

 pay anglers to use small flies even for Blagdon's big 

 fish. This is not a new doctrine, of course. I know 

 that many good fishermen have used, and do use, the 

 small fly there from time to time with more or less 

 success. But I am inclined to think that either con- 

 ditions or the trout's habits have changed somewhat, 

 and that small flies are now better worth a trial than 

 ever they were before. That they can supersede the 

 salmon-fly altogether I do not believe, but they may 

 certainly serve as a valuable addition to it. The fish, 



