104 In Pursuit of the Trout 



when the afternoon wore away — so complete 

 was the reaction. A hatch of fly like the 

 hatch of that day is worth seeing once ; but 

 that once goes a long way. The only other 

 hatch of fly 1 have ever seen to in the least 

 compare with it on a north-country stream 

 was one of iron-blue duns, on a cold Sunday 

 on the same river. The backwaters were 

 covered with this most elegant little member 

 of the Ephemeridce family for an hour or two 

 on that occasion, and the trout were suffered 

 to enjoy a long and big meal unmolested. One 

 often hears of great rises of the march brown 

 in Devonshire streams, and the air is at times 

 well-nigh blurred with the grannom over the 

 waters of the Lambourne and the Kennet. 

 A few seasons since, the may- fly hatched in 

 such vast quantities on the Wye near Bake- 

 well as to be a perfect pest. The insects 

 were buzzing about the rooms of the inn 

 and other houses in the town almost like 

 house-flies in a confectioner's shop on a hot 

 summer day. 



