188 Dry-Fly Fishing. 



slack line, I played him from the bending and 

 bowing rod on the give-and-take principle. He 

 fought valiantly, but against fate, and, after one 

 desperate spring out of water, exhausted himself, 

 caved in, and was drawn to net the first trout of 

 my season, and a good specimen, weighing lib. 7oz. 

 Not another fish was in view, nor, soon after, any 

 flies. I had done what I wanted on the opening 

 day made a satisfactory beginning. 



APRIL, 1907, ON THE ITCHEN. -A HANDSOME 

 BRACE. 



After the perfectly summer-like weather on Bank 

 Holiday, April lst> cold winds prevailed, and for 

 three weeks all the rigours of a blackthorn winter 

 had to be endured. Dry-fly fishing was out of the 

 question ; rod and creel hung idly from their pegs 

 in a saddened angler's room. Laments were useless. 

 Still, one could prepare more casts, overhaul one's 

 tackle, and from time to time admire an abundant 

 stock of well-tied and selected favourite patterns of 

 artificial flies (enough to last through the Season) 

 lately received in tiny emerald -green boxes, which 

 to the initiated will indicate that Ogden Smith tied 

 them. They were, of course, exhibited with some 

 pride to friends who called, and a lady's comment 

 generally was " How natural ! " although, certes, 

 none of them bore any resemblance to any of the 



