120 Dry -Fly Fishing. 



Altogether it was a fairly successful and very 

 enjoyable day ; but the four brace scaled only 7f Ib. 

 By the courtesy of Alex. P. Kalli, Esq., I had the 

 choice of a day's fishing in his Twyford preserves, 

 and after waiting for a favourable forecast of the 

 weather, a bright morning and a gentle wind from 

 the south tempted me to try on August 17th. A 

 survey of the water showed it to be choked with 

 weeds, some in flower standing out above the surface 

 or greenly covering the bottom, except in a few 

 places where the force of the stream had cleared 

 spaces between, showing the chalky bed. Many dry- 

 fly fishermen dislike such a dense mass of weeds, 

 because it is so difficult to draw a hooked fish 

 through or over them ; but for several reasons I 

 much prefer a fishery where they are seldom cut to 

 one where they are shaved close by the chain scythe 

 or torn out by grappling hooks, leaving little or no 

 cover for the piscine denizens, and destroying their 

 food, for young weeds are the habitat of larvae, 

 gammarus pulex, mollusca, &c., on which trout 

 'largely subsist. There are several inviting seats 

 along the west bank on which one can rest at ease 

 and watch for rises, or even cast one's fly from, and 

 also to admire the panoramic view along the bright 

 water meadows stretching away to St. Cross, and 

 beyond to historic Winchester, and shut in by 

 undulating hilly downs on both sides, which ages 



