9G 



seven-ounce rods are a mistake for May-fly woik. But I 

 stick to my fish, and hold liim all I dare, and we can see him 

 below the bridge, lashing- round, and floundering about in a 

 manner which betokens that he is nearly done for. Come 

 up stream he will not, and with my line through the arch of 

 that wi'etched bridge the chances of bringing- the fish to net 

 are strongly against me. But the cast is a good one (never 

 use drawn gut for May- fly), and if the hook does not draw 

 the case is by no means hopeless. All attempts to drive 

 the fish up stream and through the arch proved fruitless, 

 and to follow him is impossible, for the water beneath tho 

 bridge is five feet deep. When finally he gave up the 

 struggle, and lay like a log on the water, I drove the spike 

 of my rod into the ground, fastened the winch line, and 

 — by dint of getting wet to my waist — put the net beneath 

 him, and out he came I A lovely two-pounder, with a 

 bloom upon him like a peach, and bejewelled with spots as 

 brilliant as rubies. And yet there are people who •will tell 

 you there is no variety in angling, and that the catching of 

 one trout is but a repetition of the " same old story." The 

 sun has begun to sink away w'estward, the basket is heavy, 

 and so we cry a halt and count the slain. A noble show they 

 make ; eight brace all told, the smallest, one and three- 

 quarter pounds, and the best, two and three-quarter pounds. 

 AVe admire them greatly, indeed we perform those pagan 

 rites over them which tradition sanctions, and, although the 

 dav is still voung. we crv, " Hold enough ! " 



In the mnking of artificial Mav-flies, and the "inven- 

 tion " of new patterns there is no end ; but Ogden's hackled 

 " gem " has, in our experience, no equal, either as a floater 

 vv when fished sunk. AYith this fly Ave Idlled our " record " 

 basket of ten brace of trout, Aveighing SSlbs., in a deep, 

 slow running river, fishing dry. Early rising for May-fly 

 angling is a mistake, as the " rise " seldom comes on suffi- 

 ciently strong to bring the biff trout up until the sun has 

 warmed the Avater, and aired the valley. You only fag 

 yourself unnecessarily, by commencing too soon, and 

 make a toil of what would otherwise l^.ave been a day of 



