DRY FLY FISHING 33 



those rivers which are most perfectly suited for 

 it, and as these anglers are not only many in 

 number, but are probably a very large majority 

 of anglers, I will endeavour to describe some 

 of the days, the events, the places, the rivers, 

 the seasons, which are to me typical of dry 

 fly angling, in the hope of finding readers to 

 whom these things are not already too familiar. 

 If the written words can convey to them even 

 a little of what dry fly angling means to us 

 on the Test and the Itchen, of the affection we 

 feel for these rivers and their water meadows, my 

 object will be gained and my hope fulfilled. 



First, let us take the season. Every season 

 has its claim upon the attention of men whose 

 recreations are in the country and in open air, 

 but in the case of the dry fly angler this claim is 

 paramount, for the season which is the very best 

 for the use of the dry fly is also the very best of 

 the whole year. It consists of the months of 

 May and June, when Nature does her utmost 

 on a scale that is magnificent, and with a variety 

 that seems infinite, to persuade us that we live in 

 a beautiful world. The extent to which this 



appeal, which Nature makes to us, is admitted 



c 

 I 



