WET FLY TROUT FISHING 149 



superiority, and that is in weeds. In other 

 things I claim for wet fly fishing a greater 

 variety and diversity of interest, both in country 

 and water. Let any one think of the different 

 water which he has fished in Scotch rivers; 

 sometimes it has been water as colourless and 

 nearly as clear as the Test or Itchen ; sometimes 

 water which is brown, but clearing after a flood, 

 with small patches of thin white foam borne 

 down the current. For rich colour a river 

 coming from peat is best, and best of all when 

 it is clearing after a flood, and the shallower 

 parts have a crimson colour in the sun. Good 

 too is " the amber torrent " and " the granite 

 basin," as Clough saw them. We must still 

 long to cast our flies in such places, however 

 much we may have been blessed with oppor- 

 tunities of landing large trout in water meadow 

 rivers on a dry fly. The conclusion of the 

 whole matter is, that no amount of dry fly 

 fishing will altogether compensate for the loss 

 of the other, while no north country rivers can 

 satisfy the longing for Hampshire water 

 meadows in the months of May and June. 



