102 Dry -Fly FisJiing. 



on the surface of the smooth river, preparatory to 

 their first essay of flight in the air, tempting 

 Thymallus to rise from his lethargy under weeds or 

 from deep water to feast on them. 



Accordingly on each of the four following dates 

 fine weather was ' assured, and the bright sun was 

 near the zenith before I left Winchester by the 

 train. On arriving at my destination a walk of 

 about twenty minutes by the high road and 

 through the delightful environment of a beautiful 

 and sequestered park brought me to my happy 

 fishing grounds on November 6th. After a week of 

 storm and almost continuous rain, the main stream 

 of the Itchen, though full, was still clear, and wirile 

 I put my rod together and rigged it up with a very 

 finely pointed long gut cast, and knotted on a pale 

 winged olive quill tied on a No. 00 hook, the nearest 

 .pattern I could find to the natural duns in view, 

 several distant rings and small splashes (the former 

 probably made by trout and the latter certainly by 

 grayling) were observed, with hopeful anticipations 

 of sport. Before making my first throw over a fish 

 under my bank I looked at my watch. It was half- 

 past one o'clock and I may state that on each 

 occasion I began to fish at the same time, and 

 left off at 4 p.m. in order to catch my return 

 train ; therefore only moderate bags could be 

 looked for, limited to two and a half hours* 



