84 AN ANGLER'S YEAB 



that fiy which never rise at any other, still many which 

 otherwise would give a chance during the rest of the 

 season are hooked and landed, scratched and lost, or 

 gorged to repletion, so that for months afterwards they 

 never rise to the dry fly with any freedom. 



To those who have never fished with the Mayfly 

 three hints may be given which the angler has found 

 useful. 



1. Fish it whenever the chance occurs, which may 

 not be for another year, and perhaps not then. 



2. Use strong tackle. 



3. Get below the hooked fish and pull him down- 

 stream. 



ON THE KENNET. JUNE 4iH, 1898. 



THE permit arrived by post of Thursday, June 2nd, and 

 was worded as follows : " Permit Dr. Patterson and friend 

 to fish my water for one day during the next ten days." 

 Consequently, when the 6.30 a.m. steamed out of Pad- 

 dington on Saturday morning we occupied two seats, 

 while waders, rods, nets, and fishing bags helped to fill 

 up the racks above us. 



Pleasing visions filled our minds of the big takes we 

 were going to make, and memories of past triumphs 

 seemed to promise success. Those who do not know the 

 Kennet can have but little idea of its capabilities as a 

 breeding ground for large trout. Running, as its does, 

 canalised in stretches, its course is, in the true river 

 portions, made up of a succession of slowly running 

 deeps, converted in June into flower gardens by the 

 water ranunculus, with paths of clear water separating 

 the beds. These deeps are separated from each other by 

 a succession of gravelly shallows ; at the head of the 

 pools below, and in the foot-deep stickles, lie handsome 

 trout of from lib. to 31b. in weight. In the water lanes 

 are dace, chub, and other coarse fish ; and here, when 

 the rise is at its height, are to be found the leviathan 

 trout of the Kennet- -the monsters of 51bs., 81bs., or even 

 lOlbs. weight, tor which the river is famed. 



