A DAY ON THE TEME 75 



greatly resembles, and is almost as lovely as, that 

 of Dove Dale. I will only add that it is strictly 

 preserved, and that it is regarded as a great 

 privilege to be allowed to fish there at all. The 

 grayling rose fairly all day, but in the evening, 

 when we were obliged to leave them, the river, 

 especially in the deep and slow parts, was really 

 bubbling over with rising fish. It was quite 

 interesting to see through the bright, clear water 

 the big grayling come sailing straight up from 

 the bottom to suck in the small insect, without 

 much fuss or fluster. Red Tag, which I fancy 

 is an imitation of no fly that ever floated, seems 

 to have its principal attraction in the colour of 

 its tail. That was the fly that was most alluring 

 to the grayling. The only little drawback to 

 this delightful day was that for the greater part 

 of it a blustering south-westerly wind prevailed, 

 which was dead against us ; but it calmed down 

 as the shades of evening came on, and then was 

 the time for execution. Altogether it was one 

 of those ideal days that one often imagines but 

 very seldom realizes. 



By the way, with reference to the often 

 quoted sneer that angling is "an amusement 

 with a stick and a string ; a worm at one end 



