120 TROUT-FISHING IN BROOKS 



water through the pond ; in case of a big spate 

 all the hatches were opened, as also from 

 October ist , to allow the fish to get up. It was an 

 ideal place for sea-trout, as the constantly- 

 ascending shoals quite thronged the pond, from 

 which they had no means of exit upstream unless 

 favoured by a heavy freshet during July, August 

 and September. I mention this since there may be 

 similar spots known to readers who may possibly 

 not have realised their value. The pond in 

 question was one mile from the sea. 



Before dealing with the special pool-fishing 

 alluded to I should like to hint that occasional 

 sea-trout are to be taken in the lower parts of 

 tidal brooks during the last hour or so of a flood 

 spring-tide, chiefly at slack water, and in the first 

 hour of the ebb, the said parts being just above a 

 muddy estuary and having the usual environ- 

 ment of field and bush. In such circumstances 

 say it was top tide at 7 p.m. I have found 

 ordinary trout-flies to do well, preferably those 

 showing some silver or gold, also a small silver 

 Devon ; but best of all, the worms already 

 described, to be fished rather deeply, and carried 

 with wh itever movement of water there may be. 

 As very sizeable brown trout delight in this 

 brackish water, and are to be caught, too, the 



