DRY FLY FISHING 91 



making himself independent of it. A stiff rod, 

 a fairly heavy line, a short length of gut, and 

 the underhand cast will do wonders in the 

 teeth even of a strong wind ; but the dry fly 

 angler cannot compromise with the wind, and 

 if it is down stream he must face it and do 

 his best. It happens from the nature of things 

 that the cold spring winds blow down stream 

 in the valleys of the Itchen and Test. These 

 winds in the early part of the season seem to 

 delay the hatch of fly without in the least im- 

 pairing it : on the contrary, the best hatches of 

 fly and rises of trout often take place in a cold 

 east wind and on a dull, cheerless day. Some- 

 times the hatch of flies is delayed till well into 

 the afternoon, but never in May, however cold 

 the wind, need the angler despair of having a 

 really good basket. On the other hand, I have 

 sometimes in warm weather in May seen the 

 hatch of flies weak and the rise of trout soon 

 over. It is not always so, and I do not mean 

 to say that a cold day and a down stream 

 wind are to be wished for, but only that the 

 angler, who starts on such days with a feeling 

 of disappointment, will often get far more con- 



