RIVERS OF THE DISTRICT 21 



follows : Wings ; from the quill feather of a 

 starling's (or jack snipe's) wing ; hackle, brown or 

 red and body of yellow silk. Middle dropper 

 hackle fly, dressed from outside snipe's (jack) wing, 

 with mauve silk body. Top dropper ; hackle fly, 

 dressed from feather from inside starling's wing 

 (those with creamy tips for preference) body of 

 yellow silk. 



The best time for this style of fishing is from 12 

 noon until about 3 p.m., when the duns are coming 

 thickly on the stream. Should there have been a 

 sharp touch of frost during the night, so much the 

 better. 



The angler should wait until he sees a fish on 

 the rise, then cast his flies, dry, about a yard 

 above the fish, when the chances are that it will 

 be bagged. It need hardly be stated that both 

 care and skill must be exercised when the sprod 

 is hooked. The slightest check on the line, or 

 mismanagement on the angler's part, and snap 

 goes the hair casting-line. For gameness and pluck 

 commend me to a freshly run sprod. By this 

 method, and under favourable conditions, baskets 

 running up to a score of sprods can be made in an 

 afternoon, and no better sport need be desired. 



THE MINT 



This beautiful stream the main tributary of 

 the Kent rises in Bannisdale Head, and flowing 

 in a southerly direction, enters the main river 

 about a mile north of Kendal. For four or five 

 miles from its source it is known as Bannisdale 

 beck, but after receiving the waters of Grayrigg 

 and Docker becks, it becomes the Mint, flows 



