CHALK-STREAM FISHING WITH DRY FLY. 345 
trast to the black body, and which cannot be imitated by 
feather. 
This is how I make my pattern. On aoo or ooo 
hook I put a longish body of black ostrich herl, which 
has first been stripped. Then I cut a strip of pike 
scale the proper length and shape to represent the two 
folded wings and tie it flat on the top of the hook, 
taking care to show the projecting bit above mentioned. 
Then over and in front of the wing I take two or three 
turns of a small black starling’s feather, and the fly is 
finished. It does not float very well, but in fine still 
weather it is very effective ; and the pike scale, tied as 
I have described, will stand a great deal of whipping. 
Those who object to the pike scale wing can substi- 
tute starling feather, but the fly will be less lifelike, and 
on a hot August day certainly less killing, 
X. THE SEDGE, 
The last two or three seasons this fly has not preserved its 
reputation as a standard pattern for late fishing on a summer’s 
evening. It has been a mystery to many who used to look 
upon it as a never-failing resource. A few years ago it killed 
splendidly at Winchester ; and I remember seeing a man come 
to the Old Barge stream, at eight o’clock one evening in 
August, and kill five brace of good trout with his favourite 
sedge. He rarely used anything else in the evening; and 
I, myself, at that time fished it with more confidence than 
any other fly. But I have done very little with it lately, and 
my stock of sedges has not wanted replenishing for a long 
time. 
When the trout and grayling return to their old tastes, the 
following will probably be found the best dressing for the sedge 
and its variations : 
(1) THE SILveR SepcE, which I believe is no sedge at all, but 
