1.94 Dry-Fly Fishing. 



back stream in the turning by the side of St. John's 

 Booms the same stream that flows through the 

 Abbey Gardens. A sight to gladden an angler's 

 heart, and lead him to reflect that probably 

 ovipositing by fully ripe trout at the critical 

 moments Nature suggests, is more likely to produce 

 healthy offspring than the descendants oifario, often, 

 it must be feared, prematurely relieved of their eggs 

 fcy manipulation, and fertilised by the same process 

 the mutual inclination of the sexes ignored. In 

 fact, the opinion may be held that, give the Itchen 

 a fair chance by making wise restrictive rules to 

 regulate the fishing, shorten the six months' season 

 at the beginning, limit the catch to four brace per 

 eliem, not under 12 inches in length (including 

 Mayfly time), and only artificial flies to be used ; 

 also stop the increasing pollutions by drastic 

 measures, and there would then be no need of ex- 

 trinsic help, the prolific " pellucid and troutful " 

 river (an appellation given to it in monkish times) 

 would stock itself, and the sport become all one 

 eould wish. More or less these remarks will apply 

 to some other rivers which are said to be overfished, 

 and the sport deteriorating. 



Nevertheless, it must be frankly admitted that in 

 many cases restocking seems necessary, and if a 

 river's natural production (likely enough in these 

 modern days to be interfered with by careless 



