FLIES FOR THAMES TEOTJT. 



91 



likely way of catching a trout over 21b. witli the fly is to use 

 a good-sized salmon-fly (a Dusty Miller is as good as any ; see 

 Chapter IX.) in the rough water of milltails and weirpools. Now 

 and again a large trout takes a small fly ; but it is the exception 

 that proves the rule. The small fish rise well enough; I once 

 took thirteen without moving my boat; none were over fib., 

 and all were, of course, returned. The fly was a small Coachman. 

 For waters less rough than those I have men- 

 tioned, there is no fly better than the Alexandra 

 (see page 46), which will, indeed, take well in 

 almost still water, if allowed to sink, and then 

 drawn slowly through the water. On warm 

 summer evenings, when the trout visit the shal- 

 lows below weirpools to feed, ordinary flies may 

 be used, but they should be dressed large. The 

 best are Alders, Coachmen, Sedges, Coch-y- 

 bondu with harl body and gold twist, and many 

 lake, sea-trout, and grilse flies. A description 

 of fly-fishing will be found in previous chapters. 

 Spinning for Thames Trout is carried 

 on in a similar manner to spinning for pike, but 

 the tackle is finer. The usual flight is shown 

 baited in Fig. 60. The fourth triangle is not 

 necessary to hook the trout, but it helps to 

 keep the bait in position. A single hook will 

 do as well. The engraving was made from a 

 tackle baited with a bleak, by W. Parrott, of 

 Henley, a veteran Thames fisherman. The gut 

 should be of medium size, round and clear. 

 The lip-hooks should go through the under lip 

 first, as a rule ; but if a gudgeon, through the 

 top lip, downwards. The bait must not " wobble " in the least, 

 but flash straight through the water like a thread of silver. 

 Many anglers prefer the Francis flight (see Fig. 61) to the 

 an*angement just mentioned; but I would advise those who 

 are particularly clumsy in the matter of arranging a spinning 

 bait, to use either a Chapman spinner with silver-plated fans, or 

 the Imperceptible Spinner referred to on page 73. The trace 



Fig. 60. Thames 



Spinning Flight 



(Baited). 



