CHAPTER VIII. 



WEED CUTTING. 



LL dry fly anglers owe a deep grudge to modern sub-soil 

 drainage, which hurries, helter skelter, all the rain that 

 falls into the river, thus doing away with the former gentle 

 soakage into the soil, which served to feed our springs 

 and keep up an even flow and an even head of water. 

 Now we have but alternations of flood and emptiness ; 

 the millers, moreover, suffering from these alterations, and 

 sadly lacking water in most seasons, cry out loudly against 

 any obstacle in the river-bed ; consequently the river weeds 

 are ruthlessly and unscientifically cut away. The weeds, 

 the natural nurseries of fish food, being thus reduced in quantity, the 

 supply of food is seriously compromised, holts for the fish are destroyed, 

 bare areas of river bed — on which moving one fish means possibly the 

 moving of scores — afford neither refuge nor shelter, and become practically 

 impossible to fish. All fish need shelter in the hot weather from the 

 summer sun, all need refuges to which to resort if scared ; take these 

 away and the result must be deplorable. 



Those amongst us who have had the privilege of fishing in waters 

 where the cutting of the weeds has been scientifically and wisely performed 

 will have realised the difference this point alone can make to a fishery. 

 All the details of weed and water-farming have been so exhaustively 

 treated by Mr. Halford in his various works on " Dry fly fishing," 

 that they need not be described here. No better mentor could be chosen. 



