156 Trout Flies. 



occasionally taking something into his mouth, 

 which is not the fly floating over him, and it is also a 

 curious circumstance that a feeding fish will con- 

 stantly take your lure if thrown between him and 

 the bank, when he won't look at it if it passes by 

 outside of him. When you see the fish with their 

 tails up and heads down, and wriggling, as it 

 were, amongst the weeds, few objects on the 

 surface will tempt them ; and when a mass of 

 flies are coming down the water, and the fish are 

 sucking them in in every direction, with a leaden 

 sky, you may rest your arms for an hour or 

 two, but as evening comes on, just try them again, 

 with a well selected small evening fly, and your 

 patience will be rewarded. Many would give up 

 and go home, saying it was no use. Don't believe 

 them ; have a little patience. Smoke a pipe ; 

 look after birds' nests ; go and botanize for a bit ; 

 or if there is a chalk-pit, search after some 

 interesting pre-historic remains in the way of 

 sharks' teeth or fish-scales ; but don't be in a hurry 

 to go home. I have experienced this very often. 

 In the Wandle — one of the clearest and brightest of 

 rivers — I have seen clouds of small Cocktails coming 

 down, and the river all alive with fish rising ; but 

 my Cocktail would do nothing. I have just 

 waited, and later put on a small Alder dressed 

 on 12 hook, and I have filled my basket. In 



