78 AN ANGLER'S YEAR 



Though the rise is practically over, still an odd fly 

 drifts down under the bank, and is taken by shy, rising 

 trout. 



When last seen, the river was practically a mass of 

 waving water weeds, resembling nothing so much as the 

 Medusa's locks. But now a change has come over the 

 scene. At the lower end of the water, upon the bank, 

 is a fragrant (?) stack of weed, and the river bed, shorn 

 of its tresses, bears a strong family likeness to a stubble 

 field. Over the weed stumps here and there a terrified 

 trout scurries away at our approach. 



Evening is coming on, however, and the dusk partially 

 hides the angler, if the approach be carefully made. 

 Putting up a small Mayfly, I try my luck, creeping, 

 kneeling, and casting a short line under my own bank. 

 Only three times does a fish come at the fly, but the 

 three rises result in two sizeable fish, the larger of which, 

 IJlb. in weight, is an exceptionally good fish for the 

 river. In half an hour it is impossible to see the fly, 

 and a slight hollowness suggests the necessity of ad- 

 journing to the hostelry to partake of that midnight 

 feast dinner in the Mayfly season. Here about half- 

 a-dozen fishers foregather, and those who arrived earlier 

 in the day narrate their experiences, all united in com- 

 plaining that the fish came very short, and showed a 

 great fastidiousness as to the pattern of the fly. Next 

 day is Sunday, and, of course, the weather is lovely, the 

 breeze favourable, and the rise occurs early in the after- 

 noon and lasts well into the evening. From four till 

 dark the river literally boils with fish, but more fly seem 

 to betaken under water, or just as it is hatching out at 

 the surface, while but few are taken by the fish when 

 sailing full-blown down the stream. 



During the rise the larger trout can be seen moving 

 about under water, but rarely breaking the surface, and 

 even when they do so, are evidently taking the fly as it 

 rises before it has hatched out. After this day of undis- 

 turbed enjoyment for the fish, the fishers naturally 

 expected that they would be getting over their shyness, 

 and I looked forward to great things being accomplished 



