22 ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT FISHERIES 



another four or five miles in a southeasterly direc- 

 tion, when it enters the Kent as already mentioned. 



The Docker and Grayrigg becks afford excellent 

 sport should the angler be lucky enough to find 

 plenty of water in them ; and given a spate, nice 

 baskets can be made with worm or fly. Generally 

 the fish run small, but no better or sweeter trout 

 can be creeled. As the same flies apply equally to 

 the Mint and these becks, a short list of the most 

 useful is given here. Hackle or spider flies should 

 invariably be used, unless the angler should 

 feel inclined to try his luck during the warm 

 nights of June and July, when winged flies will be 

 found to be an advantage. It must be borne in 

 mind, however, that to succeed in this kind of 

 fishing low water is essential in fact the lower 

 the better. 



Three flies to the cast are the rule, and no better 

 can be used than the following tail fly, orange 

 partridge ; middle dropper, light feather from the 

 inside of a Jack snipe's or starling's wing, with 

 yellow body ; top dropper, dark woodcock or dark 

 snipe, with golden orange body the snipe may 

 occasionally be dressed with a purple body with 

 excellent results. These three flies cannot be 

 beaten on the upper portions of the Mint ; and as 

 regards Docker and Grayrigg becks, if trout will 

 not rise at them, it is almost useless to fish any other. 

 They should be dressed on single hair, using No. 2 

 or 3 sneck-bend hooks, Kendal size. No. 3 are 

 generally fished on the upper portions of the Mint 

 and its tributaries, and trout will be found to 

 take the larger fly equally with the smaller and 

 the extra size will prove to be an all-important 

 factor when the basket is turned out for weighing 



