THAMES TROUT-FISHING. 425 



try -a white moth over the sharp shallow below the weir-pool. 

 Just at ten o'clock I found myself fast in a three-pounder, whom 

 at first I fondly imagined to be a much larger fish. He cer- 

 tainly pulled in grand style, rushing in the most headstrong 

 fashion up and across the tail of the pool, whilst I could merely 

 hold him tight and guess his whereabouts by the curve of my 

 top-joint dimly seen against the darkening sky. It was really 

 an exciting struggle ; almost too much so to be pleasant, for 

 the water was very strong, and what with gazing skyward and 

 the heaving and swinging of the punt I was fairly dizzy, and 

 had to drop on my knees to avoid the imminent risk of going 

 over-board. Rosewell however punted splendidly, as indeed 

 he always did, and contrived throughout to keep below the fish, 

 whom he at last landed at half-past ten. As this was the only 

 instance in which I ever threw a white moth on Thames, the 

 admirers of this particular fly are entitled to the benefit of the fact. 

 But I confess that I am not myself a believer in white flies for 

 night-fishing. Both on theory and from experience, I am rather 

 inclined to think that if Piscator is bent on deeds of darkness, 

 the fly he employs 



Black as his purpose, should the night resemble. 



Certainly for anything short of actual night-fishing a white fly 

 would be quite useless on the Thames. Those I have recom- 

 mended are well suited to the evening fishing, which in the sum- 

 mer months the only season during which I would recommend 

 the fly is generally the best, provided the weather be warm 

 and still. On showery or windy days the afternoon will be 

 found better for sport than the evening. Let me add that in 

 the Thames, as in all English streams with which I am familiar, 

 the hours between nine and twelve are nearly always suitable 

 for fly-fishing. When the water is just tinged by a slight freshet 

 the trout will be on the feed throughout the day. And the 

 angler will always do well to cast frequent glances out of 'the 

 tail of his eye ' up and down the stream, and to enjoin similar 

 vigilance on his boatman. If you see the quiet but deep ' break ' 



