64 THE TROUT ARE RISING 



were active. They rose, and kept on rising, fore 

 and aft, right in front of you. But with the 

 artificial fly, dry or wet, they would have no 

 dealings. One of the most exasperating days I 

 ever had was on private water on the Arrow in 

 Herefordshire, one August. Then the trout rose 

 determinedly, but scorned the artificial fly. I 

 did make a small bag on that occasion, so I can 

 honestly say that things were worse, much worse, 

 at Milnthorpe. In a fortnight's fishing, I think 

 only two sizable brown trout rewarded me. I am 

 no Stewart, but I do reckon on most days to get, 

 like the average man, just a few trout, something 

 at any rate to go home with. Here, however, 

 blank followed blank. It is true, the water was 

 low, true also that some local anglers, who in 

 the previous two or three years had nearly 

 always done well, confessed to being able to do 

 little or nothing now. But the fish went on 

 rising ! They made a perpetual challenge. Fly 

 after fly was tried, but it was all the same. The 

 river was full of trout, and even though one 

 could see no fly on the water, the rising went on 

 steadily. What were they feeding on ? I tried 

 a specially made-up local cast, with negative 

 result. I even went to Lancaster and secured a 

 special fly, which I thought must attract, especi- 

 ally under the bushes, only to be told on return- 

 to Milnthorpe : " Oh ! we've tried that fly ; it's 

 no good ! " During an afternoon or evening, 

 after fishing hard, with never a rise or only very 

 short ones, I would sit down and mop my fore- 



