44 FLY FISHING 



jumped high in the middle of the pool, and 

 showed me that, if under two pounds, he was 

 certainly very thick and strong ; I dropped the 

 point of the rod without being able to give the 

 least relief to the fine gut at the end, and the 

 stream swept downwards a useless length of 

 submerged line without a fly. 



Those anglers, who are used to thinking that 

 a day's fishing means fishing all day, may ask 

 whether it does not make the pleasure less when 

 the actual fishing is concentrated into a space of 

 sometimes only two, and at most four or five 

 hours, as is the case on a chalk stream in the 

 month of May. The answer is, that the pleasure 

 and excitement are highly concentrated too, and 

 that the work while it lasts is very hard. To 

 be amongst plenty of large trout, with a small 

 fly and fine gut, when there is a good rise, is a 

 glorious experience. Before it is over the angler 

 will have had thrilling and exciting incidents, 

 enough to provide much reflection, and let us 

 hope satisfaction too, and if the rise lasted all 

 day we should be apt to miss much of the glory 

 of the month. 



There is so much to be seen and heard in May. 



