DRY FLY FISHING 37 



day, and it is all important to know at what 

 hour it will begin. The chances in my experi- 

 ence are something as follows : It is not certain 

 that there will be no rise before ten o'clock, 

 but it is very improbable that there will be any. 

 After ten o'clock the rise may begin at any time. 

 The most likely time for it is between eleven 

 and twelve, but there need be no disappoint- 

 ment if it does not begin till twelve o'clock. 

 On a day such as this I do, however, become 

 anxious if at one o'clock there is still no rise. 

 Taking then these chances into consideration, 

 desiring earnestly not to miss a minute of the 

 rise, and leaving a fair margin for uncertainties, 

 the angler will probably be at the water by 9.30. 



If this forecast of the time of the rise proves 

 correct, and there is at first neither fly nor fish 

 to be seen, the angler has at any rate the satis- 

 faction of feeling that the day is all before him, 

 and that he has so far missed nothing. If he 

 is very impatient to have an outlet at once for 

 his energy, he may put on a medium-sized hackle 

 fly and use it wet in the rough water of hatch- 

 holes, but he can do no good and perhaps he 

 may do some harm by attempting to fish the 



