io6 THE WAY OF A TROUT WITH A FLY 



wet Alder fished up or across. Next day the May fly 

 came on nicely, but before it did so I had three brace of 

 pounders in fifty yards with the wet Alder. Towards the 

 end of our stay the heat became very oppressive and the 

 water ran low and stale, but in sixteen days' fishing, some 

 days only partially occupied, I had two hundred and forty- 

 nine trout, of which fully half were taken with the wet 

 Alder. 



In the following season (May 22 to June 4), on the 

 same river, I had two hundred and sixty-five in fourteen 

 days, and again the wet Alder scored heavily. From that 

 time on I have given the Alder a trial in its season on various 

 waters, including the upper Kennet (twenty brace in two 

 days), the Nadder (forty-four brace out of fifty-four brace 

 taken in three days), and have always found that it fished 

 better sunk than dry. Of the dry patterns I did best with 

 Dr. Charles Walker's pattern (described in " Old Flies 

 in New Dresses "), but at best it was not in the same street 

 with the wet pattern. 



The wet pattern sinks readily and sinks deep. It is 

 not in the least like the nymph of the alder. The trout 

 undoubtedly never sees the natural alder as a perfect 

 insect at a depth below the surface. Yet the successful 

 period of the wet Alder is when the natural fly is out. It 

 will take at other periods, but nothing like so well. I know 

 of no beetle out at that time for which the wet Alder would 

 be taken. I have heard it suggested that it may be taken 

 for a tadpole, but I cannot say I have ever seen trout 

 feeding on tadpoles. 



The thing is an insoluble puzzle to me. The pattern 

 is too successful to be readily surrendered. It is obviously 

 accepted gleefully as food, but what does it represent ? 



