124 FLY FISHING FOR TROUT. 



Itchen. And yet Pulman must either have 

 introduced it from the Itchen, or have dis- 

 covered, or invented, it on the Axe. The last 

 contingency is possible, but unlikely, for it 

 would mean its invention at approximately the 

 same time on two rivers widely separated in 

 distance and character. And it is also unlikely 

 for the reason that it does not appear to have 

 survived on the Axe, where, however, it has 

 been reintroduced. On the whole, while 

 admitting that it is guess work, I incline to 

 think it more probable that his knowledge came 

 from Hampshire, directly or indirectly. He 

 does not claim to be the inventor, nor does he 

 write as such. 



There appeared in 1879 a book entitled 

 Ogden on Fly Tying. It attracted less notice 

 than it deserved and is now somewhat hard to 

 get. Its author, James Ogden, was a member 

 of the famous house of fly dressers at Chelten- 

 ham, whose flies are as admirable now as ever. 

 He says that his book is the result of seventy 

 years' experience, and that he introduced 

 floating flies some forty years previously, which 

 brings us to 1839, or about the date of Pulman's 

 first edition. He claims to be their originator. 

 He gives a clear account of the first use of 

 floating mayflies on the Derbyshire Wye at 

 Bakewell on 5 June, 1865, where mayfly fishing 

 was then done entirely with the live fly. 

 Ogden' s success caused the owner of the water 

 to forbid the use of the natural, whereupon the 



