160 AN ANGLER'S YEAR 



the water, or the bait-fisher is sole proprietor of that 

 portion of the river. 



Well, then, fly-fishing for grayling is our theme, and 

 Hungerford our locality. 



Hungerford is over sixty miles from London on the 

 Devizes line ; it is in quick communication with London, 

 and a good day's sport can be obtained by leaving 

 Paddington by the 9.20 a.m. train. If the day-ticket has 

 been obtained beforehand, the angler can be on the water 

 by 11.30, going direct from the station. Between that 

 hour and 3.30 the sport of the day is to be obtained as a 

 rule, though occasionally, especially with wet fly, a good 

 fish can be picked up from 9 to 11.30 a.m. Should the 

 fly-fisher wish to put in these hours he may leave 

 Paddington at 6.30 a.m., or go down by the 7.15 over- 

 night. Pair accommodation may be had at the Bear 

 Hotel, from the proprietor of which the fishing tickets 

 may be got. 



Arrived at the water, the best plan is to walk up to 

 the town bridge and see what is moving. Standing on 

 the bridge and looking down stream, below the left-hand 

 arch, working about just where the water deepens, a fine 

 shoal of grayling is always to be seen. These fish never 

 seem to rise to the fly; I have never heard of one of them 

 being taken, although they seem quite careless of the 

 presence of man. I have frequently when they have 

 been a little lower down their beat than usual waded 

 in above and waited while they have gradually worked 

 back almost to my feet. In fact I have stirred them up 

 with my rod-point before they condescended to again 

 drop back. From this bridge down to and beyond the 

 island, right to the deep slow bend where the footbridge 

 crosses, there are plenty of grayling, and these may be 

 taken with either wet or dry fly, according to whether 

 they are feeding under water or on the floating fly. 



At this time of the year the true sportsman ought 

 never to cast over a rise close in to the bank, as odds 

 are that the fish is a trout and a good one. It is an un- 

 fortunate fact that trout, that all season through have 

 not looked at the artificial, will suddenly rise and fasten 



