in MAY-DAY ON THE EXE 49 



before he fastens it to his cast. Here let it 

 be said that for the Exe and streams like it 

 I prefer flies tied on gut to eyed flies, at any 

 rate for droppers. On the whole they are 

 easier to put on, and I fancy that for wet- 

 fly fishing they make less disturbance in the 

 water and have more hooking power, which 

 is specially important in the Exe, where on 

 nine days out of ten the trout are inclined 

 to rise short. 



His new dropper fastened, our friend 

 begins to fish again. In a few casts he gets 

 another rise, and this time he succeeds in 

 hooking his fish fairly. It shows splendid 

 sport, and its first rush might be that of 

 a pound fish. However, there are no 

 dangerous stumps in the pool, and it is not 

 long before he lands it in his net, a lovely 

 little trout of some six ounces. Where 

 half-pounders are the limit of one's aspira- 

 tions a fish of six ounces is a decidedly good 

 beginning, and our angler is pleased with 

 himself. As he unhooks his first capture 

 he notices that the hook has fastened in the 

 corner of its mouth, and wonders whether 

 there is anything in the old Exmoor adage 

 that all the fish caught in a day's fishing 



