NORTH-COTJNTEY PLIES ON CHALK STREAMS. 43 



slowly sucks the fly into its mouth and rejects it. Of course, 

 if the stream is fairly rapid, an observer will notice that his 

 line is checked slightly, but in a slow-flowing stream this 

 check is hardly noticeable. 



The wet fly is most useful in the daytime where there is a 

 ripple on the water either from wind or from the rapidity 

 of the stream, or some obstruction, such as a lump of 

 weed or an old pile. It is particularly killing late in the 

 evening during the hot months, or where the water is 

 slightly coloured. Fish will also take it well if it is 

 cast right under the bank, close to the sedge. Indeed, I 

 know no more killing method of using it on chalk streams 

 than to walk up the left side of the river, and cast, 

 with not too long a line, under your own bank : of course, 

 if you can cast with your left hand, or from your left 

 shoulder, you can do the same on the opposite side of the 

 river. The fly should be allowed to drift back a yard or so 

 towards you, the rod-point being meanwhile gradually lifted. 



With regard to working the wet fly, perhaps, as a general 

 rule, it is best to let it drift, without dragging it in the least. 

 But there are days when the fish seem to want attracting, 

 and then you may draw your fly gently across the stream. 

 When drawing the fly, you will feel, if you do not see, every 

 rise you have — no small advantage. On rather rough, wet 

 days, a large fly, worked in jerks along the top of the water, 

 will often rise fish when everything else fails. It is a capital 

 plan, when casting up stream under your own bank in the 

 manner described, to just dibble the fly towards you, by giving 

 a slight trembling motion to the rod. When fishing after 

 dusk, the fly should be cast out, and drawn slowly towards the 

 angler. 



On chalk streams the angler will sometimes find that the 

 sparsely dressed hackle flies of the North Country, described 

 in the next chapter, will kill as well as, or even better than, 

 the more artistic imitations of Hampshire dressers. Never 

 use more than one fly on a chalk stream, for you may 

 hook large fish, and if the second fly catches in anything, as 

 it probably will, the result will be disastrous. Whether the 



