FISHING AT HOME AND ABROAD 

 to match my chance in any lake with three flies of the same pattern 

 against another angler fishing with whatever he chose. It is all very well 

 and interesting to prepare exact imitations of the fly that happens to 

 be on the water; but the value of the imitation seems to be sacrificed when 

 the mock insect is presented to the notice of the trout going through 

 movements under water which the natural fly can only rival in the air. 

 Commend me therefore to a few flies bearing a generic resemblance to 

 aquatic insects — say Greenwell's Glory, Zulu, Yellow and Teal, the Fran- 

 cis trout-fly, Red Palmer and March Brown. I care not what natural fly 

 the trout in a lake may be feeding on, if he catches sight of one of these 

 the odds are that he will take it, if it is about the right size to fit his 

 fancy. 



As to what that size may be a good deal of misconception prevails. One 

 is apt to suppose that it is expedient to use larger flies in a loch than 

 in a stream because of the greater depth of water and the heavier average 

 of the flsh. I believe this to be a mistake, unless the wind is rough. In a 

 light breeze it will be found that flies tied on o or oo hooks, stlch as 

 are usual in stream-fishing, will raise far more trout than what are usually 

 called loch flies. The fish when hooked require to be handled more deli- 

 cately than on coarser tackle and it takes longer to bring them to the net; 

 but in any loch which is much frequented by anglers, small flies will ensure 

 a heavier bag than big ones. Larger flies, up to the size used for sea- 

 trout, may be used in rough weather when the water is lashed into 

 waves; indeed a small double -hooked salmon -fly will sometimes prove 

 effective when trout cannot be induced to come to the usual flies. I am 

 told that most of the fine trout in Blagdon Reservoir are taken by that 

 means. 



Fishing the Darent at LuUingstone with Mr Legh (now Lord Newton), 

 I spotted a big trout in the pond in front of the castle rising at flies 

 under the boughs of a horse-chestnut. I put a red quill over him several 

 times, but there was no current to move it, and he would have nothing 

 to do with it. In the afternoon I showed this fish to my friend, who took 

 off his fine gut cast, substituting a stronger one, to which he attached a 

 double -hooked *' Silver Grey." Much to our surprise the trout took it like 

 a lion and was soon landed — 3 lb. or thereabouts, if I remember aright. 

 Such a feat is all very well as a tour de force; but most of the charm of 

 trout-fishing would be missing if it were done with strong tackle. To kill 

 such a trout as this on fijiest gut and oo hook is a tour (Tadresse. 

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