56 LIST OF FLIES. 



and I would catch them a trout for the green drakes 

 were hatching freely, and lighting on the grass around 

 us. My rod was at hand, I put on a fly and dropped 

 it on the dark water, amidst the silvery foam flakes 

 which marked the main track of the current. It had 

 scarce sailed a yard when it was chucked down, and I 

 hove out a trout ; in a few minutes and in a few yards 

 space, I took out four, from half a pound to a pound 

 each. My time being spent, and wanting no more, I 

 was winding up, when an old craftsman (who had toiled 

 through a fishless day) dropped upon us, and seeing 

 the four trout alive and jumping in his path, stood 

 amazed, and asked what I had taken them with ; I an- 

 swered, the green drake, but did not add the important 

 point, it was alive. Next afternoon (which was sunny 

 and the drakes hatching) I saw the old craftsman the 

 late Miles Shepherd whipping up the mill-race with 

 his usual small fly dexterity, and met him on the spot 

 I had killed the four : u What sport, Mr. Shepherd." 



" Sport, M 1, why no sport at all ; I went to Jackey 



Stubbs, and he dressed me a green drake, and they 

 wont touch it I reckon * nowt ' of your green drakes," 

 and making no stop, away walked the disappointed an- 

 gler ; and, I believe, never troubled the fishery more 

 with the green drake. 



John Stubbs' imitations are bad to equal ; and Miles 

 Shepherd was the most successful small flyfisher in all 

 the neighbourhood. In April and May he frequently 

 brought home, from the Laver, his pannier full of 

 trout, some a pound to two pounds weight. He was 

 dexterous in whipping his flies beneath bushes, and 

 over the haunts of large trout. His favorite fly was 



