FLY-FISHING IN THE TEME. 7 



had had six hours of hard toil, for I con- 

 scientiously left no part of the water uncovered 

 by my doughty flies ; but with the exception 

 of three small grayling, which I caught, I 

 never saw a single rise during the whole 

 time ! 



" What can be the meaning of it ? " I asked 

 myself. What could any angler have done 

 that I have not done? I did my best to 

 keep well out of sight, and, having the wind 

 with me, I threw with the utmost delicacy 

 and precision ; perhaps it was a general dis- 

 advantage that I had the higher or banky 

 side of the water, and could not so well get 

 at the deep holes, which mostly trended 

 under the banks on my side. 



I fished up-stream and down-stream, as 

 circumstances seemed to dictate ; sometimes 

 I fished with a dry fly, deftly laying him on 

 the water, floating proudly with wings spread 

 out and jaunty tail : nothing could be more 

 like nature. Sometimes I allowed the flies 

 to sink, and float down a few inches below 

 the surface, thinking that, as it was too cold 

 for the fish to come up, they might be feeding 

 on a plentiful supply underneath ; but it was 

 all to no purpose ! I will go home now, and 

 try again to-morrow. I may say that, during 

 my fishing, notwithstanding the cold wind, I 



