78 MINOR TACTICS OF THE CHALK STREAM 



surface, ending, at the moment of capture of the 

 prey, with swirls. I did not put up a Pink 

 Wickham, because I had another experiment to 

 make. In the previous July I had caught three 

 brace before eleven o'clock on a nymph imitated 

 in olive seal's fur from one found in the mouth 

 of a trout on the previous day, and I wanted to 

 give it a trial here, on the chance that it might 

 be found that it was nymphs, and not shrimps, 

 that the tailing fish were shaking out. So, keep- 

 ing the artificial nymph soaking at the end of 

 my line in the run at my feet, I despatched it every 

 now and then across the course of the trout, when, 

 desisting from their grubbing, they pursued the 

 flying quarry. It was generally the case that, 

 by the time the fly lit, the fish was careering 

 off in some different direction ; but several fish 

 pursued my fly and swirled at it, and one takable 

 trout and one short of the regulation twelve inches 

 succeeded in taking it. It was a short and most 

 inconclusive experiment, but, if occasion serves, 

 it will be renewed. 



OF THE FASCINATION OF BRIDGES. 



Years ago, before ever I knew the Upper Itchen, 

 there was a wooden farm bridge which crossed 

 the main river to carry produce. Whether the 

 bridge fell into decay through disuse and neglect 

 consequent upon the fields on the east side being 

 separately let to another farmer, or whether the 



