Notes and Sport of a Dry -Fly Purist. 115 



I mention all this for the benefit of some men 

 who I am certain do not fish fine enough in the 

 dear Itchen. 



All through April the river had a winterly 

 appearance, the fish were not in condition, the 

 weather unpropitious, and those too ardent anglers 

 who did try met with poor sport ; nor were blank 

 days unknown. 



For these reasons I did not make a beginning 

 until May 19th, and it will somewhat simplify the 

 following details of my dry-fly sport, and save much 

 unedifying repetition, if I state at the beginning 

 that all of it was obtained on the prolific Eiver 

 Itchen, namely, from two meadows on the east 

 bauk above Winchester, where I rent the exclusive 

 right ad medium Jlumen, but by the usual tacit 

 understanding between owners of opposite banks, 

 casting all across was not interfered with ; in fact, 

 it happened that no other rod fished there. It is a 

 great advantage having even a small length of well- 

 stocked water all to one's self, and to watch it 

 closely for flies and fish rising during the morning 

 or evening, and take the benefit of such knowledge 

 by resuming the rod at the nick of time, thus 

 .avoiding over-fatigue, and perhaps disappointment, 

 while waiting long hours by the river-side to no 

 purpose. 



And by favour, annually granted to me for many 



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