CHOICE OF PATTERN 97 



down and may take heavy toll of them. If they 

 have been left alone during the flooping stage the 

 skilled and cool fisherman will get quite a large 

 number of the very biggest fish daily as long as the 

 rise lasts. He must, however, play the waiting game, 

 select his fish with care, keep well out of sight, use 

 the underhand cast only, and throw once or twice 

 accurately with a perfectly dry fly over the fish. If 

 it is not taken, he must wait until the trout has taken 

 two or three more naturals, and then cast once or 

 twice more with the same care and with the same 

 accuracy. Anything like hammering will very soon 

 arouse suspicion in the trout and set it down for the 

 day. When the fish rises he can hardly strike too 

 slowly, and once hooked, all the strain possible must 

 be put on and the fish prevented from plunging into 

 the nearest weed-bed. If the trout goes to weed, the 

 method of handling is worked out in detail in a later 

 chapter. 



Now for patterns. In the new set there are four, 



Nos. I and 2 being the male 

 Patterns of mayfly. and female green, and Nos. 



3 and 4 the male and female 

 brown mayflies respectively. The green mayflies 

 are imitations of Ephemera danica, the species usually 

 found on the Test, and the brown mayflies are 

 intended to represent Ephemera, vulgata and Ephemera 

 lineata. All three species are present on the Itchen 

 and Kennet. Of the old standards " their name is 

 legion " ; the best perhaps being the green and brown 



