Dibbing with the Dry-fly 65 



to gently carry the well-dried fly over the tips 

 of a bunch of willow-herbs or a big dock-leaf 

 and lay it on the water a foot in front of the 

 unsuspicious fish. The interest and excite- 

 ment always seem to me to be greater in 

 proportion as one is nearer the fish. The 

 knowledge that the slightest false or clumsy 

 movement cannot fail to scare the stalked fish 

 is sport in itself. Another special attraction 

 of dibbing is the constant belief that some- 

 thing very big indeed must be lurking 

 amongst the bushes and the wooded margins 

 of the stream. The trout that frequent such 

 places are rarely of the sprat size. In the 

 open stream, and even in backwaters and 

 deep pools, you may waste hours upon hours 

 over a gently dimpling fish, which you take 

 to be monster, but eventually find to be — in 

 size — a minnow. Perhaps the greatest charm, 

 however, in groping about amongst the trees 

 and bushes lies in the absolute seclusion and 

 quietness of these nooks. No blundering 

 brother-angler will come thither and spoil 

 your sport ; no unwelcome tourist rudely 



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