162 THE WAY OF A TROUT WITH A FLY 



In vain. But he went on rising. He did not appear to be 

 taking flies on the surface. So I took off the Quill, tied on 

 a Pheasant tail on No. i hook, moistened it in my mouth 

 to make it sink and look like a nymph, and despatched it 

 to my trout. He was my trout all right, and the keeper 

 put his weight at two pounds two ounces. 



Then I remembered that a bit farther up was a place 

 where I had seen a good trout as I went by in the morning, 

 and I approached it gingerly. Yes. Just a little farther 

 out in the stream than I expected a trout was rising busily. 

 He took my nymph the first time it reached him, and 

 after a battle royal he joined No. I in my bag. The two 

 fish were as like in size and make as two peas, and they 

 weighed two pounds two ounces each. I was pleased 

 enough at the moment, but when I think of all the sport 

 I have probably missed in the past by believing the 

 authorities, instead of finding out for myself about the 

 behaviour of trout in mist, I refrain from good words. 



DRIFTWEED AND BAD ADVICE. 



The days when weeds have been cut and are floating down 

 in quantity are sufficiently distressing to the angler who 

 must take his water-side pleasures when he can. But even 

 on them, despite fouling of line and fly, one may oc- 

 casionally manage to pick up some sport with the aid of a 

 tinselled fly, such as a Pink Wickham or a Pope's Non- 

 descript. 



But when the cutting is over and the stream is free of 

 weeds, except such as are caught against the banks, though 

 for a day or two the trout have left their usual hovers 

 and are nervous and uneasy, it is quite possible for one 

 who makes it his business to get at the reason of things to 

 fill a modest basket in the course of the day. 



