176 Dry -Fly Fishing. 



hare's-ear quill on a cipher size hook. Then, until 

 past 2 p.m., I watched and waited on the west side 

 of the broad upper shallows for signs of moving 

 fish, but in vain, patience was not rewarded by a 

 single capture, when, as it was bitterly cold, I left 

 off for the day, the temperature of the air having 

 fallen to 33 degrees, and, so far, the coldest day 

 since May. 



On the 18th, a dull and misty morning with a 

 hint of coming sunshine inspired the hope of some 

 grayling sport later on, if only for an hour or two ; 

 and when at the zenith the sun did break through 

 the clouds, the clear, gently flowing, brimming 

 river glittered on its way through the smiling 

 valley, and fish began to feed in that portion of the 

 St. Cross preserves between the ugly red-brick 

 viaduct of the Great Western Eailway and down to 

 Compton Lock on the old canal. But trout and 

 grayling came up in a very desultory manner, because 

 the natural fiies floating on the surface were not 

 numerous enough to tempt a fuller rise to develop. 

 And when within the next hour grayling began to 

 move, the breaks and rings they made were so 

 small that only a practised eye could detect them. 

 Evidently, therefore, they were taking midges or 

 smut-like diptera. Consequently, I chose a gold- 

 ribbed hare's-ear fly dressed on a 00 hook, and for 

 two hours chiefly kept to this favourite pattern, 



