210 THE WAY OF A TROUT WITH A FLY 



forth and stayed out till dark. By 8.30 another trout 

 and another grayling had been basketed, but there was 

 not any fly in evidence. Then, in spite of a cold wind and 

 continuing drizzle, there came on a strong rise to some 

 pale dun ; but neither of us succeeded in fixing its identity 

 closely enough to provide the taking imitation. Had we 

 done so, we might with luck have been able to point the 

 more definite moral from what was decidedly an abnormal 

 day. 



ONE OF LIFE'S LITTLE CAST IRONIES. 



Just at the top of a club water on a tributary of the 

 Wey stands the keeper's cottage in a nook which Sutton 

 Palmer has selected to illustrate as one of the beauty 

 spots of Surrey, itself not the least beautiful of counties. 

 The stream hereabouts runs from fifteen to twenty feet 

 in width, with a nice pace on it and plenty of twists 

 and turns in it, and all sorts of little backwaters and 

 eddies. 



At the point where the stream gathers to its narrowest 

 below the keeper's cottage a big ash- tree leans across from 

 the right bank at so violent a slant that a tall man walking 

 along the left bank has to stoop to avoid injury, and just 

 above the bole the current has carved a little bay in the 

 bank which forms a perfect lie-by for a fish which desires to 

 keep out of the strength of the stream, but to be ready 

 for any provender which may be brought down under his 

 bank. In the autumn of 1915 this bay had a constant 

 occupant in a dark-coloured fish, which throughout the 

 season had defied the allurements of the members of a club 

 which contained some good average fishermen, and of some 

 guests who were something above the average. He was a 

 fascinating fish, and when he was moving it was difficult 

 to refrain from spending much more time on him than was 



