august 



LXII 



THE angler who falls under the fatal witchery of 

 the dry fly undergoes a serious metem- D pl 



psychosis. He learns the deeper ecstasy 

 of his art, but gone are the simple delights of 

 'chuck-and-chance-it.' Henceforward he still may 

 be found drifting on highland loch or wandering 

 beside lowland burn, when the south wind blows its 

 softest under summer clouds, and the air hums with 

 gentle pipe of heather flies and the drowsy base of 

 the gairey bee; but he will be obviously listless, 

 killing the time till he may return to the worship 

 of his new mistress. Nothing rightly stirs his 

 nerves but the even oily flow of a southern chalk- 

 stream, pellucid as the air itself; the full blaze of 

 noontide ; great brown trout with eyes in their tails 

 nay, in every spot in their skins sucking down 

 the floating duns softly oh ! so softly or fanning 



