PRACTICAL FLY FISHING 



should never be seen upon the line until after 

 six o'clock. In the almost endless days of 

 summer, it will kill after bright hot days, longer 

 than a person can see his flies. 



Once, at Midsummer, when on a visit at 

 Birdsgrove, near Ashburn, on the Dove, I 

 determined to try for an extra large Trout, with 

 this fly, in the evening; as I had heard of 

 several very fine fish having been taken by 

 some country night fishers. I made a Green 

 Woodcock on one of the largest Salmon hooks 

 I had, perhaps a 15 or 16 Kendal hook. Not 

 having any gut which I thought strong enough 

 for my purpose, I selected sixteen good strong 

 horse-hairs, to which I dressed my fly, making 

 it very rough. That I might not be diverted 

 from my purpose, I took out with me only this 

 one fly. 



The place I had selected, as most likely for 

 my operations, was an extremely rough narrow 

 stream, about half a mile above Hanging 

 Bridge ; with an open stone wall, and excellent 

 holds on the Derbyshire side of it, and not a 

 likely place for a net to be put into by any one 

 who ever expected to see it come out again 

 whole. I arrived there at dusk, and, beginning 

 at the top of the stream, fished it step by step ; 

 when I came to the middle of the stream, 

 where it was still very rough, there was a splash 

 at the fly, as if some one had thrown into the 

 water a large paving-stone, and my line flew 

 over my head. On looking at it, the sixteen 

 hairs were staring in all directions, but the fly 



