162 Dr^-Fly Fishing. 



that in the loss of the fish some blame perhaps 

 attached to me. Soon after, as I walked back for 

 rest and refreshment, pale olive duns were rising in 

 considerable numbers under the east bank, also a 

 few stragglers on the middle of the stream and 

 wherever a bend occurred under the other bank ; 

 but the lessee, whom I then met and had some 

 pleasant conversation with, had noticed (and so did 

 I) that, although these tempting Ephemeridse were 

 floating down, nay, sometimes could be seen actually 

 emerging to the surface, they were only occasionally 

 taken by the fish. Nevertheless, the frequent rings 

 they made clearly showed they were taking some- 

 thing else ; possibly the nymph as it ascended. 

 Mr. C. had killed one good-sized trout and lost 

 another. 



With an empty creel at nearly four o'clock I 

 began sadly to fear that I should have my first 

 blank day of the season ; but fortune and persever- 

 ance favoured me when I had passed the Spring 

 Garden Hatches, and out of four fish rising in mid- 

 stream within view, and one within casting distance 

 of where I stood, the latter was selected. Forth 

 over his large spreading ring my fly was sent (a 

 green quill -bodied lure on a blue sneck-bend eyed 

 hook), but several times unheeded. At last he rose 

 to it, and, as I promptly struck, he was securely 

 hooked in the lower jaw (the gape of the hook 



