48 Dry-Fly Fishing. 



fishing up to dusk. This simplifies the matter, as 

 only lures for dry-fly sport need be carried. I lay 

 down my pen at the last stop, and pause awhile to 

 look into a mahogany box on which I have often 

 sat in my punt, and at the contents of a small chest 

 of five drawers, all (box as well) crowded with tackle 

 used in early days, when Thames fishing by float or 

 leger, paternoster or travelling, was a satisfying 

 pleasure, or in middle life, when spinning for trout 

 or jack seemed delightful, and afterwards, when fly 

 fishing for dace or chub led the way to the present 

 fascinations of the dry-fly art. Except to remind 

 one of happy days gone by and genial companions 

 who also have vanished from life's changeful scenes, 

 all this angling gear is discarded as useless to me 

 now, save the articles in the top drawer, which are 

 more or less wanted for fly fishing, such as winches, 

 dressed lines on winders, hanks of natural and also 

 of drawn gut in wash-leather envelopes, and about 

 a dozen expensive japanned boxes of artful con- 

 struction, but little use by the riverside and cumber- 

 some to carry, most of them containing old flies, 

 once, but no longer, favourites ; but four cases hold 

 a reserve stock of dry flies, with all improvements 

 up to date, and one pale green cardboard box, 4f in. 

 square by Ifin. deep, inclosing twelve smaller ones 

 " as closely as nature packs her seedlings," delivered 

 within the last few months, and full of red quills 



