HAMPSHIRE WATER MEADOWS. 147 



with half; knowing that the enjoyment to be 

 obtained therefrom will outbalance that of any 

 other form of sport which is likely to be 

 presented to me. 



During the opening fortnight of the season 

 the fish are not in anything like the game con- 

 dition that they acquire after a fine week in 

 May. The red quill is one of the favourite and 

 most effective flies particularly on the side 

 streams where the smaller trout our limit is 

 three quarters of a pound are mostly taken. 

 For the last two years I have more or less 

 discarded the winged patterns finding that hackle 

 flies float quite as well, and are more likely to 

 hold when the strike is made. 



For some reason too a gold-ribbed Hare's ear 

 dressed with reversed wings has gained a great 

 reputation particularly on windy days when one 

 has to pick and choose a likely place according 

 to the various bends of the river. Fortunately 

 this can nearly always be managed even with 

 a nasty north or north-west wind which some- 

 times prevails week after week. For the idea 

 of the reversed wing dressing we are all 

 indebted to Mr. H. K. Grierson who had them 

 made to his fancy by Messrs. Cox & 

 Macpherson of Southampton, from whom they 

 can no doubt be obtained. What the insect 

 may be which they imitate, others must guess 

 or explain; but it will sometimes take good fish 

 when nothing else will. 



I must frankly say I prefer softer weather, 

 and less good sport, seeing that there is very 



