110 Dry -Fly Fishing. 



All across these broadest shallows of the upper 

 Itchen, which are well known as the headquarters 

 of the grayling, and beyond which they do not 

 naturally ascend, three weirs have of late years been 

 constructed, with a view to make three levels of the 

 surface, lower between each, and therefore a con- 

 tinuous flow of water to fall over in a glassy glide, 

 not deep, at the edge of the weir, so that fish, if 

 inclined, may leap up and through it. But close 

 under there is a depth of 2ft. or 3ft. (ideal haunts 

 for trout), the well-scoured chalky bottom a short 

 distance below, gradually silting up, and again 

 forming shallows which feeding fish love to frequent 

 and dry-fly anglers to cast over. The beneficial 

 effects of these weirs, by causing a lively stream, 

 are to keep the water, even in hot weather, well 

 aerated, to improve the fishing, and to attract the 

 fish to work up from the lower reaches, particularly 

 at spawning time, and to tempt them there to 

 remain. I was struck with what I saw. On nearly 

 every clear space of the shallows, or behind weeds, 

 or scooped out in the midst of them, or in small 

 bavs, trout were in evidence, not less than fifty or 

 ;sixty, all more or less fulfilling the law of their 

 nature in the propagation of species. Therefore I 

 made no attempt to fish there, but turning, and by 

 a circuitous route avoiding the slippery boards and 

 water meadows, gained the lower reaches about two 



