A LITTLE CHALK STREAM 51 



is somewhat deeper and formed into a succession of 

 little runs and pools by beds of weeds. Here the 

 trout are not easily scared, and when the fly is 

 hatching they rise very freely, half a dozen or so in 

 each pool and two or three in each run. At the first 

 sight the angler says to himself " Ha ! they are 

 delivered into my hand," and probably forms a 

 resolution not to take too many. Such a simple 

 and confiding folk deserves chivalrous treatment. 

 But when he has been pegging away for half an hour 

 or so with no result but a few short and splashy 

 rises his mind is altered. He desires, and desires 

 very badly, to knock one or two of these fish on the 

 head. The trouble here is the drag. Owing to 

 the irregular growth of weeds the current varies in 

 pace with every few inches, and the result is that the 

 fly is made to do all sorts of unnatural things. The 

 drag can be overcome by very careful use of slack-line 

 but only after much study and experiment. One 

 learns to regard a brace of fish caught in this reach 

 as a solid and satisfactory hour's work. 



It is not so very far from this point to the road 

 bridge, which may be called the top of the water. 

 Having attained to this the angler commonly begins 

 to think of tea, and of the little low-browed inn 

 which may be reached in five minutes, or perhaps a 

 little more, since the road winds uphill, and waders 

 and brogues make slow going. First, though, he 



