MARCH 55 



quiver beautifully as the stream ripples 

 against them. Even to the human eye 

 the lure looks like a living thing ; it is 

 not astonishing that the trout often find 

 it irresistible. For a similar reason, if 

 you would discover the full utility of 

 " spiders," the little flies which have many 

 legs but no wings, you must ply them in 

 an upstream direction. The hackles are 

 in some cases so soft that they cling to 

 the steel, scarcely adding to its small 

 bulk, when the lures are held against 

 the current ; but when you are bringing 

 the lures towards you from an upstream 

 cast the hackles look intensely alive. 



Seven fish, smaller, followed the big 

 one into the basket that afternoon. 

 All the trout were caught within two 

 hours. Then a strangely chill wind 

 from the south-west set in, and the rises 

 ceased. The breeze was coming from a 

 stormy cloud portending rain. The sport 

 had been during a lull in the weather. 

 Clearly the storm that had brought the 

 flood was not yet over. It was about to 



