1 62 AN ANGLER'S HOURS ix 



or the mainsail of a cutter, while the 

 clumsy artificial spreads its wings apart. I 

 believe there is a theory that the artificial 

 is intended to represent the real fly at the 

 moment when it begins to flutter, which is 

 (so it is said) the moment when the fish 

 seizes it. But so far as my observation has 

 gone, it seems to me that a trout rises when 

 he sees the fly, flutter or no flutter. One 

 season I had some flies tied with a single 

 upright wing, but they would not float. 

 The straddle - bug, however, sometimes 

 answers this purpose, and is always worth 

 a trial. 



And now we are at the fence again. 

 The low western sun is right in our faces 

 here, but our hats have broad brims, which 

 save us from being dazzled into inaction. 

 Now we can see a trout, almost in the same 

 spot where we caught the first chub ; he is 

 within two inches of the surface, just raising 

 his head lazily from time to time, and taking 

 a fly as it floats over him. But he won't raise 

 his head for ours, though we try several 

 patterns, including a large Wickham (a fly 

 which sometimes succeeds with May-flies 

 all round it), and a full half-hour is vainly 



