92 THE WAY OF A TROUT WITH A FLY 



faction to think that he is sorry for it now. I had a sort of 

 notion there was more of a chance than appeared obvious 

 on the surface of things, and the very fact that " Dab- 

 chick," in the Field of that week, had issued his most 

 impressive warning that it would be hopeless to expect any 

 sport at Easter, only made me more set in my determina- 

 tion to go down and offer the trout some samples of my 

 fly dressing. 



Years ago I was walking by the Beverly Brook in 

 Richmond Park, when I came across a dark secondary wing- 

 feather of a heron, and conveyed it home. I dyed it a rich 

 brown olive, of the hue that goes dirty orange where the 

 pith of the split stalk of the feather is exposed, and ever 

 since I have dressed myself annually a small stock of Rough 

 Spring Olive with a body of that feather, and have generally 

 killed fish on them before the big dark spring olive took 

 his departure about mid- April. Here is the recipe: 



Hook. — No. i. 



Silk. — Bright yellow, well waxed. 



Wings. — Darkest old cock starling. 



Body. — Three or four strands of dyed heron's herl, as 



above described. 

 Rib. — Fine gold wire. 

 Hackle. — Dark brownish olive. 

 Whisks. — Ginger. 



For the wet pattern the hook may be a size larger. 



Well, the week-end was bleak enough to satisfy the 

 malicious soul of " Fleur-de-Lys." But the beginning of 

 the new week broke very pleasantly bright and sunny, and 

 so, though I knew from old experience that it was not 

 the slightest use to be on the water before twelve o'clock 

 (Greenwich time, not summer time), yet 10.30 summer time 

 found me in waders and with my rod put together making 

 across the water meadows for a deep length of the river 



