262 HAPPY HUNTING-GROUNDS 



advocated and explained at length in the Minor 

 Tactics of the Chalk Stream of that very skilful light 

 of the Fly fishers Club, Mr. Skues. 



One of the greatest drawbacks of my stretch of 

 the Lambourne is the scarcity of fly. I am told that 

 the May-fly used to abound here, but now, instead of 

 the masses of green drakes which cover the Kennet 

 towards the end of June and the beginning of July, 

 we have but a few occasional stragglers rising here 

 and there, which are generally gobbled up by a cock 

 chaffinch, or some other hungry bird, before they have 

 a chance to settle on the water to propagate their 

 species by depositing their eggs, or to give the fish a 

 chance to make their acquaintance. The trout I have 

 caught with a May-fly during the past two seasons 

 may be reckoned on the fingers of one hand. There 

 are compensations for this. The May -fly carnival, 

 when it really comes off, means a long interval, during 

 which the rod may as well be put by, for the glutted 

 fish take a "cure" of at least three weeks after their 

 surfeit of delicacies, during which apparently their 

 doctor prescribes abstinence from insect food of all 

 descriptions, just as the human race recuperate at 

 Marienbad or Kissingen for a similar period after the 

 excesses of the London season. Then, to my thinking, 

 there is never such charm in taking fish on these large 

 flies with comparatively big hooks as there is in beguil- 

 ing them with a tiny dun or olive tied on an 00 hook. 

 Where there are a proportion of very big fish, cannibal 

 feeders for the greater part of the year, which only 

 rise at the specially attractive " drakes," and almost 

 always escape if by some extraordinary piece of good 

 fortune you manage to hook them with a tiny dry fly, 



