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believe there is some sort of grating at the point of 

 junction of the two streams, but it takes a lot to ex- 

 clude such unwelcome visitors. But up to the time of 

 writing (unberuferi) I have never seen one in this river ; 

 and long may their absence continue, for where they 

 once obtain access to a trout-stream they become a 

 nuisance which it is only possible to abate or minimise 

 by constant and relentless warfare. 



I have complained of the absence of fly, and ex- 

 pressed some doubt whether accurate imitation of 

 the natural insect on the water is essential to success. 

 There is one exception which I ought to have made 

 the sedge generally swarms in the evening, when there 

 is almost always a late rise. The bottom of every 

 ditch and backwater is lined with the caddis, from 

 which these insects are hatched, and a silver or cinna- 

 mon sedge is unquestionably the proper " medicine " 

 in the evening, and is seldom exhibited in vain. The 

 late comer who labours but for one hour will often 

 prove more successful than one who has borne the 

 burden and heat of the day. So it falls out that a 

 certain industrious barrister, who often takes advan- 

 tage of his season-ticket and the excellent train service 

 to come down after his day's work and linger by the 

 stream till the darkness becomes too pronounced to 

 distinguish the fly upon the water, usually obtains a 

 better bag than has rewarded his father's desultory 

 efforts extended over a much larger .aggregate space 

 of time. Often when dinner is over I have seen a 

 dusky shape take its stand behind the big Gunnera, 

 and have been able to indicate the precise position of 

 some feeding fish near enough to cast over, but invisible 

 to the angler himself. Then comes a moment of 



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