144 HAMPSHIRE WATER MEADOWS. 



indeed to that felt by the same angler fishing" 

 with a wet fly upstream with a success that 

 speaks for itself of his knowledge of where the 

 fish lie and how they can be attracted to feed. 

 The style and equipment of all forms of fishing 

 may be different : but not the spirit of the sport. 



To catch fish is no more the sole object of 

 fly fishing than to get from one seaport to 

 another the sole object of yachting; or to steer 

 a partner round a ball room the sole object of 

 dancing. Mere dead reckoning in either case 

 is not the whole story. Even in the shadows 

 of the beeches or the palms sitting out counts 

 for something. The frame of mind induced by 

 a river winding through a water-meadow is 

 that of the sleek cows with contented eyes 

 which breathe upon the canvasses of Mr. 

 Arnesby Brown. 



The season opens in mid April, or a full 

 month later than the preserved water of South 

 Devon ; a plan which perhaps removes all idea 

 of fishing with a wet fly. In the ten rod club 

 to which I have had the pleasure to belong for 

 the past eight years, wet fly fishing although 

 by no means barred on the ticket has hardly 

 been practised; whether from custom, agreement, 

 pride, or etiquette, I cannot say. If one is 

 forced to make comparisons I should say that 

 there is less emulation among the members to 

 count the number of fish in their creels at the 

 end of the day. Hours are spent in sauntering 

 up the bank or splashing through the flooded 

 meadows, albeit the majority of the * rods ' live 



