162 AN ANGLER'S SEASON 



fishing ended with May. Her belief 

 prevails in quarters where you would 

 least expect it. Only a few days ago a 

 trader in tackle, in whose shop I was 

 seeking flies, said, as he set out his cases, 

 " Of course, there's very little use trying 

 the river now." He was an angler, too ! 

 Was there warrant for his depressing 

 remark ? Well, there was a little. Just 

 as the flower - garden becomes dowdy 

 and the birds become silent before 

 Midsummer Day, the trout in many 

 places become languorous by the same 

 time. This is particularly noticeable, 

 and particularly explicable, on waters 

 which have the Mayfly. After their fort- 

 night's feeding on that most relished of 

 all things in their fare, the fish seem to 

 be out of appetite for a time. Besides, 

 the languor overtakes many a water 

 which is without the Mayfly. There 

 also it becomes difficult to pile up a 

 basket such as will cheer the heart of 

 reasonably exacting man. To be sure, 

 there are exceptions to this rule, excep- 



