A DAY'S FISHING. 123 



uncommonly slow. Practically speaking dry-fly 

 fishing depends on what is known as a "hatch" 

 of fly, and this in the early spring is apt to be a 

 very brief affair each day, sometimes even not 

 occurring at all. Arrived at the water he is going 

 to fish on the fair May day the young angler will 

 soon have an opportunity of realising what a hatch 

 of fly is. It is about half-past nine in the morning, 

 and though there is plenty of insect life in the air 

 the surface of the river is as yet unbroken by any 

 signs of fish. On a dry-fly stream it takes some- 

 thing more definite than flies in the air to put trout 

 on the feed. Presently, however, as he watches 

 the water flowing clear and full between its low 

 grassy or sedge-lined banks, now gliding smooth 

 as glass, now curling and eddying over some patch 

 of trailing weeds which have grown up to within 

 an inch or two of the surface, now rippling over a 

 ridge of gravel, now sweeping back in a slow eddy 

 in some little bay worn out of the bank with 

 possibly a glint of white chalk at the bottom, the 

 novice will be aware that something like a tiny ship 

 is sailing down in the distance. 



As it comes nearer he can see that it is a little 

 fly with upright wings and long thin body, while its 

 general colouring seems to be olive with a hint 

 of yellow in it. This is an olive dun, one example 



