118 MOSTLY ABOUT TROUT 



a small dark fly, tied with soft short, bristly 

 hackles and no wings, the most effective with 

 such trout. 



On that summer's evening on the Itchen 

 of which I write, we had good fortune with 

 those early evening rises, and we had grand 

 sport, an unusual experience in the slanting 

 sunrays. You generally have to wait for success 

 until they are off the water. Then came the 

 great moment, when the sun had dipped well 

 behind the chalk-hill downs, when great noses 

 came up to make head and tail rises, showing 

 dark upon the waters, gleaming golden and rose- 

 colour in the afterglow. Such an end to a 

 long day of disappointment ! They were taking 

 little flat-winged spinners confidently. The 

 evening rise not only looked good, as it so often 

 and so deceptively does, but it was good. They 

 really took, and shut their mouths tight upon 

 the fly, so that when the rod point was raised 

 the little hook was firmly embedded, every 

 time in something firm and holding. When 

 one rod was waiting for the next rise to show, 

 the other was often bending and throbbing ; 

 the music of the reel, the finest music of all 

 to a fisherman's ear, was wafted across the 

 meadow on the evening air as an encouragement 

 to further effort. My pipe, to complete the 



