AUGUST ON THE 1TCHEN. 183 



inclined to say * good evening ' to a trout with 

 whom you have been on terms of such 

 intimacy. You have offered him your wares, 

 while he on his part has given you the pleasure 

 of his company, although accepting no favours. 



It reminds you of dances where you looked 

 out to see the same pretty girl in the room 

 although you had not been introduced to her. 

 It was enough to know she or the trout was 

 there. An introduction, even an attachment, 

 might come later on. 



That the sedge fly is the only one to use on 

 such occasions must not be supposed for a 

 moment. A large Wickham or a Silver Twist 

 will attract feeding trout often quite as well, 

 sometimes indeed better. Very small flies on 

 fine gut are frequently a mistake, even as 

 regards rising the fish in fast moving water. 

 There are times when they like a mouthful, or 

 think they do, take it with considerable pre- 

 cision, and on a short line nearly hook them- 

 selves as they turn down. 



Sedge flies ought to be the best as they 

 imitate the real insect to a nicety. For some 

 reason too they are usually mounted on stronger 

 and better tempered hooks than other large flies, 

 besides being well tied. I must own to a great 

 preference for a pronounced side bend; indeed, 

 from experience of disaster in the past, I do 

 not care to fish with any other shaped iron. 



Where trout are actually taking the flies off 

 the rushes, as anglers have told me they have 

 seen them do, it must be difficult to attract the 



