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| author | pgww <pgww@lists.pglaf.org> | 2025-08-31 09:22:01 -0700 |
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| committer | pgww <pgww@lists.pglaf.org> | 2025-08-31 09:22:01 -0700 |
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font-weight:bold; + font-style: normal; } + .x-ebookmaker p.dropcap:first-letter { float: left; } + </style> + </head> + <body> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76776 ***</div> + +<div class='tnotes covernote'> + +<p class='c000'><strong>Transcriber’s Note:</strong></p> + +<p class='c000'>New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.</p> + +</div> + +<div class='chapter ph1'> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> +<div class='nf-center c001'> + <div>MINOR TACTICS OF THE</div> + <div>CHALK STREAM</div> + </div> +</div> + +</div> + +<div class='chapter'> + <h2 class='c002'>AGENTS</h2> +</div> + +<table class='table0'> + <tr> + <td class='c003'><strong>AMERICA</strong></td> + <td class='c004'>THE MACMILLAN COMPANY<br><span class='sc'>64 & 66 Fifth Avenue</span>, NEW YORK</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c003'><strong>AUSTRALASIA</strong></td> + <td class='c004'>OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS<br><span class='sc'>205 Flinders Lane</span>, MELBOURNE</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c003'><strong>CANADA</strong></td> + <td class='c004'>THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD.<br><span class='sc'>St. Martin’s House, 70 Bond Street</span>, TORONTO</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c003'><strong>INDIA</strong></td> + <td class='c004'>MACMILLAN & COMPANY, LTD.<br><span class='sc'>Macmillan Building</span>, BOMBAY<br><span class='sc'>309 Bow Bazaar Street</span>, CALCUTTA</td> + </tr> +</table> + +<div class='figcenter id001'> +<img src='images/i004.jpg' alt='' class='ig001'> +</div> +<table class='table1'> +<colgroup> +<col class='colwidth20'> +<col class='colwidth20'> +<col class='colwidth20'> +<col class='colwidth20'> +<col class='colwidth20'> +</colgroup> + <tr> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'><span class='sc'>Rough Spring Olive.<br>No. 1.</span></td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'><span class='sc'>Iron Blue Dun.<br>No. 00.</span></td> + <td class='c006'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c006'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c005'><span class='sc'>Greenwell’s Glory.<br>No. 0.</span></td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'><span class='sc'>Greenwell’s Glory.<br>No. 00 Double.</span></td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Watery Dun.<br>No. 00 Double.</span></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c006'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c005'><span class='sc'>Pale Summer<br>Greenwell’s Glory.<br>No. 1.</span></td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'><span class='sc'>Pale Summer<br>Greenwell’s Glory.<br>No. 00 Double.</span></td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Black Gnat.<br>No. 00.</span></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c006'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c005'><span class='sc'>Tup’s Indispensable.<br>Wet. No. 0.</span></td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'><span class='sc'>Tup’s Indispensable.<br>Wet. No. 00 Double.</span></td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c006'><span class='sc'>Olive Nymph.<br>No. 0.</span></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c006'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'><span class='sc'>Dotterel Hackle.<br>Tied Stewartwise.<br>No. 00.</span></td> + <td class='c005'> </td> + <td class='c005'><span class='sc'>Tup’s Indispensable.<br>Floater.<br>No. 0.</span></td> + <td class='c006'> </td> + </tr> +</table> + +<div class='titlepage'> + +<div> + <h1 class='c007'>MINOR TACTICS OF THE CHALK STREAM<br> <span class='xlarge'>AND KINDRED STUDIES</span></h1> +</div> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> +<div class='nf-center c008'> + <div><span class='small'>BY</span></div> + <div class='c009'><span class='large'>G. E. M. SKUES</span></div> + <div><span class='small'>(<em>SEAFORTH AND SOFORTH</em>)</span></div> + <div class='c009'><span class='small'>SECOND EDITION</span></div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='figcenter id002'> +<img src='images/ititle.jpg' alt='[Logo]' class='ig001'> +</div> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> + <div class='nf-center'> + <div>LONDON</div> + <div>ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK</div> + <div>1914</div> + </div> +</div> + +</div> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> +<div class='nf-center c001'> + <div><span class='small'><em>First published in March, 1910</em></span></div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> +<div class='nf-center c001'> + <div><span class='blackletter'>Dedicated</span></div> + <div class='c009'><em>TO MY FRIEND THE DRY-FLY</em></div> + <div><em>PURIST, AND TO MY</em></div> + <div><em>ENEMIES, IF I HAVE ANY</em></div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_vii'>vii</span> + <h2 class='c002'>NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c010'>It would ill become me if I allowed a Second +Edition of “Minor Tactics of the Chalk Stream” +to go to the public without expressing to those +writers who have dealt with my volume in the +Press my grateful sense of the generosity with +which, whether they were or were not in agreement +with the main object of the work—the +endeavour to put the wet fly in what I conceive +to be its right place on the chalk stream—they +have one and all received it. In the fifty or so +Press notices, short and long, I find, without exception, +an absence of the harsh word, and a pervading +urbane and kindly spirit which is of the +true Waltonian still. Such fault as has been +found has in the main been that I have shown +undue timidity in dealing with the pretensions of +the dry-fly purist. To that criticism I should like +to reply that in dedicating my book to my <em>friend</em> +the dry-fly purist I was using no idle word—that +in asking him to make room for the wet fly beside +the dry fly as a branch of the art of chalk-stream +angling, I knew myself to be making a claim on +<span class='pageno' id='Page_viii'>viii</span>him which he would not willingly concede, and I +was determined that no harsh or provocative word +of mine should give offence to any of the many +good friends, good anglers, and good fellows who +would not—at the first onset, at any rate—find +themselves able to see eye to eye with me.</p> + +<p class='c011'>I take leave to hope that the interval since the +first publication of “Minor Tactics” has brought a +good few of them round to the view that, without +ousting the dry fly from pride of place as major +tactics of the chalk stream, the wet fly has its +subsidiary, but still important, place of honour in +chalk-stream fishing.</p> + +<div class='lg-container-r'> + <div class='linegroup'> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>G. E. M. SKUES.</div> + </div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_ix'>ix</span> + <h2 class='c002'>FOREWORD</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c010'>Rising from the perusal of “Dry-Fly Fishing in +Theory and Practice,” on its publication by Mr. +F. M. Halford in 1889, I think I was at one with +most anglers of the day in feeling that the last +word had been written on the art of chalk-stream +fishing—so sane, so clear, so comprehensive, is it; +so just and so in accord with one’s own experience. +Twenty years have gone by since then without my +having had either occasion or inclination to go +back at all upon this view of that, the greatest +work, in my opinion, which has ever seen the light +on the subject of angling for trout and grayling; +and it is still, as regards that side of the subject +with which it deals, all that I then believed it. +But one result of the triumph of the dry fly, of +which that work was the crown and consummation, +was the obliteration from the minds of men, in +much less than a generation, of all the wet-fly lore +which had served many generations of chalk-stream +anglers well. The effect was stunning, +hypnotic, submerging; and in these days, if one +excepts a few eccentrics who have been nurtured +<span class='pageno' id='Page_x'>x</span>on the wet fly on other waters, and have little experience +of chalk streams, one would find few with +any notion that anything but the dry fly could be +effectively used upon Hampshire rivers, or that +the wet fly was ever used there. I was for years +myself under the spell, and it is the purpose of the +ensuing pages to tell, for the benefit of the angling +community, by what processes, by what stages, I +have been led into a sustained effort to recover for +this generation, and to transmute into forms suited +to the modern conditions of sport on the chalk +stream, the old wet-fly art, to be used as a supplement +to, and in no sense to supplant or rival, the +beautiful art of which Mr. F. M. Halford is the +prophet. How far my effort has been successful +I must leave my readers to judge. I myself feel +that in making it I have widened my angling +horizon, and that I have added enormously to the +interest and charm of my angling days as well as +to my chances of success, and that, too, by the +use of no methods which the most rigid purist +could rightly condemn, but by a difficult, delicate, +fascinating, and entirely legitimate form of +the art, well worthy of the naturalist sportsman.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In the course of my too rare excursions to +the river-side, I have elaborated some devices, +methods of attack and handling, which I have +found of service, some applicable to wet-fly, some +to dry-fly fishing, or to both. In the hope that +<span class='pageno' id='Page_xi'>xi</span>these may be of interest or service, I have included +papers upon them.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In conclusion I should like to express my +gratitude to the proprietors of the <cite>Field</cite>, for +permission to reprint a number of papers contributed +by me to that journal over the signature +“Seaforth and Soforth,” which come within the +scope of the work; and to Mr. H. T. Sheringham, +for his invaluable advice and assistance in the +arrangement of these papers.</p> + +<div class='lg-container-r'> + <div class='linegroup'> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>G. E. M. SKUES.</div> + </div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_xiii'>xiii</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CONTENTS</h2> +</div> + +<table class='table0'> + <tr> + <th class='c012'></th> + <th class='c003'> </th> + <th class='c003'> </th> + <th class='c013'>PAGE</th> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_vii'>vii</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>FOREWORD</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_ix'>ix</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <th class='c012'>CHAPTER</th> + <th class='c003'> </th> + <th class='c003'> </th> + <th class='c013'> </th> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>I.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>OF THE BEGINNING OF THINGS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE INQUIRING MIND</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>II.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>SUBAQUEOUS HAPPENINGS IN NATURE</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_8'>8</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE DROWNING OF DUNS AND OTHER INSECTS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_8'>8</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE STAGES IN A RISE OF DUNS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_9'>9</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>III.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>SUBAQUEOUS HAPPENINGS IN ART</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_14'>14</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF MEDICINE FOR BULGERS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_14'>14</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF UNDER-WATER TAKING, ITS INDICATIONS, AND THE TIME TO STRIKE</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_17'>17</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF ROUGH WATER AND GREY-BROWN SHADOW</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_20'>20</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>IV.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>SUPPLEMENTARY IN THE MATTER OF FLIES</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_24'>24</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF WET-FLY DRESSINGS FOR CHALK STREAMS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_24'>24</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE IMPORTANCE OF COLOUR OF TYING SILK</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_29'>29</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE IMITATION OF NYMPHS, ETC.</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_30'>30</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>V.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>SPECIAL CONDITIONS AND WET-FLY SOLUTIONS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_36'>36</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>NERVES</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_36'>36</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE TROUT OF GLASSY GLIDES</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_38'>38</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE WET FLY IN POOLS, BAYS, AND EDDIES</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_41'>41</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE JUDICIOUS USE OF THE MOON</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_44'>44</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE WET-FLY OIL TIP</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_45'>45</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF GENERALSHIP AND THE WET FLY</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_47'>47</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>A POTTED TROUT, AND ONE OTHER</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_49'>49</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF TWO SATURDAY AFTERNOONS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_54'>54</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'><span class='pageno' id='Page_xiv'>xiv</span> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>VI.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>UNCLASSIFIED</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_57'>57</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF HOVERING</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_57'>57</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE PORPOISE ROLL</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_59'>59</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>VII.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>SUNDRY CONSIDERATIONS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_60'>60</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE RELATION OF PATTERN TO POSITION</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_60'>60</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE USE OF SPINNERS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_63'>63</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF GENERAL FEEDERS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_67'>67</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>ON ATTENTION TO CASUAL FEEDERS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_70'>70</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE FREQUENTATION OF DITCHES</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_73'>73</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE NEGOTIATION OF TAILERS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_76'>76</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE FASCINATION OF BRIDGES</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_78'>78</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>VIII.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>MAINLY TACTICAL</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_81'>81</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE DELIBERATE DRAG</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_81'>81</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>IN THE GLASS EDGE</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_84'>84</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE CROSS-COUNTRY CAST</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_87'>87</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>WHAT TUSSOCKS ARE FOR</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_89'>89</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE ALLEGED MARCH BROWN</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_91'>91</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF GENERAL FLIES</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_92'>92</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>IX.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>CONSIDERATIONS MORAL, TACTICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND INCIDENTAL</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_95'>95</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF FAITH</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_95'>95</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE BANK OF VANTAGE</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_98'>98</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF COURAGE AND THE JEOPARDIZING OF TUPPENCE HA’PENNY</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_103'>103</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF IMPOSSIBLE PLACES</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_105'>105</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE USE OF THE LANDING-NET</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_109'>109</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>OF THE WEEDING TROUT</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_115'>115</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>INCIDENTALLY OF THE LIGHT ROD ON CHALK STREAMS</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_117'>117</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>AND OF WET-FLY CASTING</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_120'>120</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>X.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>FRANKLY IRRELEVANT</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_122'>122</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'>A DRY FLY MEMORY</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_122'>122</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>XI.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>ETHICS OF THE WET FLY</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_126'>126</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c003'> </td> + <td class='c013'> </td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c012'>XII.</td> + <td class='c003' colspan='2'>APOLOGIA</td> + <td class='c013'><a href='#Page_131'>131</a></td> + </tr> +</table> + +<div class='chapter ph1'> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> +<div class='nf-center c001'> + <div>MINOR TACTICS OF THE</div> + <div>CHALK STREAM,</div> + <div>AND KINDRED STUDIES</div> + </div> +</div> + +</div> +<div> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_1'>1</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER I<br> <span class='c014'>OF THE BEGINNING OF THINGS</span></h2> +</div> +<h3 class='c015'>OF THE INQUIRING MIND.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>I read recently in that fine novel, “A Superfluous +Woman,” a sentence enunciating a principle of +wide application, to which anglers might with +advantage give heed: “We ought not so much to +name mistakes disaster as the common practice of +servile imitation and faint-hearted acquiescence.” +In no art are its practitioners more slavishly content +“jurare in verba magistri” than in angling. +Tradition and authority are so much, and individual +observation and experiment so little.</p> + +<p class='c011'>There is, indeed, this excuse for the novice, that, +going back to the authorities of the past after +much experiment, he will find that they know +in substance all, or practically all, that, apart +from the advance of mechanical conveniences and +entomological science, is known in the present +<span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span>day. The difficulty is to dissociate the dead +knowledge, which is reading or imitation, from +the live knowledge, which is experience. And +if these pages have any purpose more than +another, it is not to lay down the law or to dogmatize, +but to urge brother anglers to keep an open +and observant mind, to experiment, and to bring +to their angling, not book knowledge, but the +result of their own observation, trials, and experiments—failures +as well as successes.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In all humility is this written, for I look back +upon many years when it was my sole ambition to +follow in the steps of the masters of chalk-stream +angling, and to do what was laid down for me—that, +and no other; and I look back with some +shame at the slowness to take a hint from experience +which has marked my angling career. It +was in the year 1892, after some patient years of +dry-fly practice, that I had my first experience of +the efficacy of the wet fly on the Itchen. It was a +September day, at once blazing and muggy. Black +gnats were thick upon the water, and from +9.30 a.m. or so the trout were smutting freely.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In those days, with “Dry-Fly Fishing in Theory +and Practice” at my fingers’ ends, I began with +the prescription, “Pink Wickham on 00 hook,” +followed it with “Silver Sedge on 00 hook, Red +Quill on 00 hook, orange bumble, and furnace.” I +also tried two or three varieties of smut, and I rang +the changes more than once. My gut was gossamer, +<span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span>and, honestly, I don’t think I made more +mistakes than usual; but three o’clock arrived, +and my creel was still “clean,” when I came to a +bend from which ran, through a hatch, a small +current of water which fed a carrier. Against the +grating which protected the hatch-hole was generally +a large pile of weed, and to-day was no +exception. Against it lay collected a film of scum, +alive with black gnats, and among them I saw a +single dark olive dun lying spent. I had seen no +others of his kind during the day, but I knotted on +a Dark Olive Quill on a single cipher hook, and laid +siege to a trout which was smutting steadily in the +next little bay. The fly was a shop-tied one, beautiful +to look at when new, but as a floater it was no +success. The hackle was a hen’s, and the dye only +accentuated its natural inclination to sop up water. +The oil tip had not yet arrived, and so it came +about that, after the wetting it got in the first +recovery, it no sooner lit on the water on the +second cast than it went under. A moment later +I became aware of a sort of crinkling little swirl in +the water, ascending from the place where I conceived +my fly might be. I was somewhat too +quick in putting matters to the proof, and when +my line came back to me there was no fly. I +mounted another, and assailed the next fish, and +to my delight exactly the same thing occurred, +except that this time I did not strike too hard.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The trout’s belly contained a solid ball of black +<span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>gnats, and not a dun of any sort. The same was +the case with all the four brace more which I +secured in the next hour or so by precisely the +same methods. Yet each took the Dark Olive at +once when offered under water, while all day the +trout had been steadily refusing the recognized +floating lures recommended by the highest authority. +It was a lesson which ought to have set +me thinking and experimenting, but it didn’t. +I put by the experience for use on the next +September smutting day, and I have never had +quite such another, so close, so sweltering, with +such store of smuts, and the trout taking them so +steadily and so freely.</p> + +<p class='c011'>It was a September day two or three years later +when I had another hint as pointed and definite +as one could get from the hind-leg of a mule, but +I didn’t take it. There was a cross-stream wind +from the west, with a favour of north in it, and +all the duns—and there were droves of them—drifted +in little fleets close hugging the east bank, +where the trout were lined up in force to deal +with them, and feeding steadily. Fishing from the +west bank, I stuck to four fish which I satisfied +myself were good ones, and in over two hours’ +fishing I never put them down. I tried over them +all my repertoire. I battered them with Dark +Olive Quill, Medium Olive Quill, Gold-ribbed +Hare’s Ear, Red Quill (two varieties), Grey Quill +and Blue Quill, Ogden’s Fancy, and Wickham, and +<span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>I left them rising at the end with undiminished +energy, and went and sat down and had my +lunch. Then I sought another fish, and began +again, when suddenly it occurred to me that I had +not tried the old-fashioned mole’s-fur-bodied, +snipe-winged Blue Dun. I had only a solitary +specimen, and that was tied with a hen’s hackle; +but such as it was, and greatly distrusting its +floating powers, I tied it on. I did not err in my +distrust, for after a cast or two it was hopelessly +water-logged. I dried it as well as I could in my +handkerchief, and despatched it once more on its +mission. It went under almost as it lit, just above +a capital trout, but for all that it was taken +immediately. The next trout, and the next, and +the next, took it with equal promptitude; one was +small, and had to go back, but the others were +quite nice average fish.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Then, in my eagerness, I was too hard on my +gossamer gut when the next trout took my fly, and +he kept it. I had no more of these Blue Duns, +and I did not get another fish till the evening.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Still I did not realize that I was on the edge of +an adventure, nor yet did I realize whither I was +tending when Mr. F. M. Halford told me how a +well known Yorkshire angler had been fishing +with him on the Test, and, by means of a wet fly +admirably fished without the slightest drag, had +contrived to basket some trout on a difficult +water.</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>Indeed, it was several years later that, after +fluking upon a successful experience of the wet fly +on a German river which in general was a distinctively +dry-fly stream, I began to speculate +seriously upon the possibility of a systematic use +of the wet fly in aid of the dry fly upon chalk +streams. In conversation with the late Mr. +Godwin (held in affectionate remembrance by +many members of the Fly-fishers’ Club, and, +indeed, by all who knew him), who had seen the +very beginnings of the dry fly on the Itchen, and +remembered well and had practised the methods +which preceded it, I learned how, fishing downstream +with long and flexible rods (thirteen or +fourteen feet long), and keeping the light hair reel-line +off the water as much as possible, these early +fathers of the craft had drifted their wet flies over +the tails of weeds, where the trout lay in open +gravel patches, and caught baskets of which the +modern dry-fly man might well be proud.</p> + +<p class='c011'>I gathered, however, that a downstream ruffle +of wind was a practical necessity; and as I could +not pick my days, and such as I could take were +few and far between, I realized that, even if they +appealed to me—which they did not—these +methods would not do for me, as I might, and often +did, find the river glassy smooth, but that, if I were +to succeed, it must be by a wet-fly modification of +the dry-fly method of upstream casting to individual +fish.</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>I could not believe that the habits of the trout +were so changed as to make this impossible, and I +began to look for opportunities to experiment. +The bulging trout presented the most obvious +case, yet it was rather by a chain of circumstance +than by the straightforward reasoning which now +seems so simple and obvious that I was led into +experiments along this line.</p> + +<p class='c011'>How I effected some sort of solution of the +problem with a variant of Green well’s Glory, and +later on with Tup’s Indispensable, is detailed +elsewhere, as also are my experiments with the +trout of glassy glides (who seldom break the +surface to take a winged insect, presumably because +of the drag), together with other fumblings in +the search of truth; but from that time forth I +have seldom neglected an opportunity to test the +wet fly on chalk-stream trout. It may be that +on many occasions I have used the wet fly when +the dry would have been more lucrative. On the +other hand, I have found it furnish me with sport +on occasions and in places when and where the +dry fly offered no encouragement, nor any prospect +of aught but casual and fluky success, and I have +provided myself with a method which forms an +admirable supplement to the dry fly, and has +frequently given me a good basket in apparently +hopeless conditions, and in the smoothest of +water and the brightest of weather.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER II<br> <span class='c014'>SUBAQUEOUS HAPPENINGS IN NATURE</span></h2> +</div> +<h3 class='c015'>OF THE DROWNING OF DUNS AND OTHER INSECTS.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>It has been advanced as an argument against the +use of the wet fly, that duns and the other small +insects which drift down upon the surface of a +stream are never seen by the fish under water, +and that a wet fly is therefore an unnatural object, +especially if winged. “Never” is a big word, +and I venture to think the case is overstated. I +have watched an eddy with little swirling whirlpools +in it for an hour together, and again and +again I have seen little groups of flies caught in one +or other of the whirls, sucked under and thrown +scatterwise through the water, to drift some +distance before again reaching the surface.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Anyone who has kept water-insects in spirit +for observation or mounting is aware that they +readily become water-logged, and by no means +insist on floating. Again, we have it on the best +authority that certain of the spinners descend to +the river-bed to lay their eggs, and probably, that +function performed, they ascend again through +<span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span>the water, giving the trout a chance while in +transit. Thus the trout may well be familiar +with winged insects under water. Even if he +were not, it may be doubted whether he is sufficiently +intelligent to reject a thing which he +fancies he has found good to eat on the surface +merely because it happens to be below. Indeed, +experience so conclusively proves that trout will +take the winged fly under water that those who +repudiate both these propositions are upon the +horns of a dilemma. Many hackled flies are more +or less—and generally less—careful imitations of +nymphs or larvæ. But of these more anon.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE STAGES IN A RISE OF DUNS.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>It has often been the subject of admiring comment +that, before ever the angler can see a single +fly in air or upon water, the trout will have lined +up under the banks, and settled at the tails of weed-beds, +and have begun to take toll of insect life; +and many have commented on the startling unanimity +with which trout begin to feed all at once +all over a river or length. Some seem to suppose +that, with a quick appreciation of values of temperature, +atmosphere, barometric pressure, and +what not, the trout discern when the flies will rise, +and are there in readiness. Is it necessary to suppose +anything far-fetched? It has often seemed +to me that the swallows and martins can and do +detect in advance the preparations for a rise in the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>swarming of nymphs released from weed or gravel, +or whatever their particular fastness may be, and +borne down the current. This precedes the actual +hatch for a period greater or less according to +temperature, pressure, and perhaps other little-understood +conditions; and so it happens that no +trout that is not “by ordinar’” stupid could fail +to appreciate that game is afoot, and to put himself +in position to enjoy the sport.</p> + +<p class='c011'>If one goes down to the bottom of the High +in Winchester, near by King Alfred’s statue, +and peers between the railings, one may generally +see several brace of handsome trout; and if one +takes some new bread and presses it together in +little balls hard enough to make it sink, but not +sink too fast, and throws it to the trout, one may +see some most beautiful catching, neater than that +of the most finished fielder in the slips. So when +the nigh-upon-hatching nymphs are being hurried +down, your trout shall enjoy some pretty fielding +before the bulk of the quarry come near enough to +the surface to attract attention to the trout’s +movements by any swirl or break on the surface. +If the trout be lying out on the weeds from which +the nymphs are issuing, you shall see the trout +swashing about in the shallow water covering the +weed-beds, in pursuit of the nymphs, and presenting +the phenomenon known as “bulging.” This is +the first stage of the rise.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Presently, as the swarm of drifting nymphs +<span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>becomes more numerous, escaping units, first in +sparse, then in increasing numbers, reach the surface, +burst their swathing envelopes, and spread +their canvas to the gales as <em>subimagines</em>. Presently +the trout find attention to the winged fly +more advantageous—as presenting more food, or +food obtained with less exertion than the nymphs—and +turn themselves to it in earnest. This is +the second stage. Often it is much deferred. Conditions +of which we know nothing keep back the +hatch, perhaps send many of the nymphs back to +cover to await a more favourable opportunity +another day; so it occasionally happens that, +while the river seems mad with bulging fish, the +hatch of fly that follows or partly coincides with +this orgy is insignificant. But, good, bad, or indifferent, +it measures the extent of the dry-fly +purist’s opportunity.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Good, bad, or indifferent, it presently peters +out, and at times with startling suddenness all the +life and movement imparted to the surface by the +rings of rising fish are gone, and it would be easy +for one who knew not the river to say: “There +are no trout in it.” For all that, there are pretty +sure to be left a sprinkling, often more than a +sprinkling, of unsatisfied fish which are willing to +feed, and can be caught if the angler knows how; +and these will hang about for a while until they, +too, give up in despair and go home, or seek consolation +in tailing. Often these will take a dry +<span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>fly, but an imitation of a nymph or a broken or +submerged fly is a far stronger temptation. This +is the third stage.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Now, the dry-fly purist is quite entitled to his +own opinions, and to restrict himself to the second +stage; but if there be other anglers who are willing +to vary their methods, who can and do catch +their trout, not only in the second stage, but also +in the first and the third, and if their methods +spoil no sport for others, who shall say that they +are wrong in availing themselves of all three stages +of a rise of duns?</p> + +<p class='c011'>I remember well one day late in May when the +three stages were excellently well marked. There +was a bright sun, a light breeze from the east with +a touch of south in it, and I was on the water +about 9.30, and took the left bank, with the wind +behind my hand. No fish were rising, but on +reaching the water-side I almost stumbled on top +of a trout which stood poised over a clear gravel +patch under my own bank. Fortunately, however, +I withdrew without his seeing or suspecting +me. My pale-dressed Greenwell’s Glory trailed in +the water, and I delivered it without flick, well wet, +a foot or so above the spot where I had marked +my fish. There was no break of the surface, but +a sort of smooth shallow hump of the water about +the size of a dinner-plate, with a dip in the middle, +as the fish turned and I pulled into him. Presently +I saw a brace bulging vigorously over some +<span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>bright green weeds. It was not the first or the +tenth time that my sunken Greenwell covered the +fish that one of them came; but when he did there +was no doubt about it, and he joined number one +in the basket. Two more followed in a short time, +unable to resist the same lure. Then it seemed +to fail of its effect, though the river was freely +dotted with rings, and after wasting much time +I tumbled to the situation, and changed to a +floating No. 1 Whitchurch—most effective of +Yellow Duns—on a cipher hook. The effect was +immediate, but I had put it off too long, and when +I looked up from basketing my third trout to the +Whitchurch the rise had worn out. But I was +not done yet. I changed to a Tup’s Indispensable +dressed to sink, and, fishing upstream wet in likely +runs and places, I made up my five brace before I +knocked off for lunch.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER III<br> <span class='c014'>SUBAQUEOUS HAPPENINGS IN ART</span></h2> +</div> + +<h3 class='c015'>OF MEDICINE FOR BULGERS.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>For many a year bulging trout were the despair +of my life, and in those days I would gladly have +said “Amen” to the opinion expressed in a letter +to the <cite>Fishing Gazette</cite> of March 13, 1909, by the +angler who writes over the pen-name of “Ballygunge,” +that when trout were bulging you “might +as well chuck your hat at them” as a fly. Many +times had I vainly plied them with Gold-ribbed +Hare’s Ear, as recommended by Mr. F. M. Halford, +as well as most of the current imitations of +duns on the water, and Wickhams, Tags, and other +fancy flies to boot. Hoping against hope, I never +gave up trying for those aggravating fish, and one +day, towards the end of a bad exhibition of bulging +by the trout, I actually caught a brace, and lost a +third, on a Pope’s Green Nondescript—a dun tied +with starling wing, red hackle and whisk, and a +dark green body ribbed with broad flat gold.</p> + +<p class='c011'>On many occasions since I have found that fly +kill well at the beginning of a rise, and it may be +<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>that on the occasion spoken of the trout which I +got were on the verge of giving up bulging in +favour of the winged dun. But I was not satisfied. +Then the recollection of a visit to the Tweed +struck me with the notion that on that water all +the trout practically bulged all the time, and that +with their wet-fly patterns Tweed anglers were +able to give a good account of themselves, and I +searched among Tweed patterns for the nearest +analogue to Pope’s Green Nondescript. I thought +I found it in Greenwell’s Glory, if varied by exchanging +for the hen blackbird wing a starling +wing. The likeness was not very exact, but it +was close enough to experiment on. The point +that I wanted to achieve was to combine with +the colours of Pope’s Green Nondescript the type +of dressing special to the Tweed Greenwell’s Glory. +Rough, slim upright wings, well split, and standing +well apart when wet, made of several thicknesses +of feather so as to absorb water, and not +to give it up readily when cast; body spare, consisting +of the waxed primrose tying silk only, +closely ribbed with fine gold wire, and one or at +most two turns of a furnace hen’s hackle with +ginger points, no whisk (whisks only help flotation), +and a rather rank hook to take the fly under. +The type of dressing is to be found applied to all +his patterns in Webster’s “Angler and the Loop +Rod.”</p> + +<p class='c011'>Whether it was because I had faith in my +<span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>medicine, or whether any other cause was at work, +I know not, but the experiment was, despite some +misses due to failure to judge the right moment to +pull home the hook, an immediate success.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Bulging trout are bold feeders, and seem to mind +being cast over less than do those which are taking +surface food; but they are much more difficult to +cover accurately, because they rush from side to +side and up and down, and the odds are that, if +you cast to one spot, the trout is careering off in +pursuit of a nymph to right or left of it. But once +the trout sees the fly, the chances of his taking it +are far better than are the chances that a surface-feeding +trout will take the floating dun which +covers him. The fly is allowed to drag in the +stream, so as to be thoroughly wet, and is then +cast upstream to the feeding fish in all respects +like a floating fly, except that it is not dried or +allowed to float. The weight of the reel-line will +probably be enough to dry the gut, so that the +risk of lining your trout is minimized, only the +fly and the first link or so of gut going under +before it reaches him. I found it best to tie this +pattern on gut, and, dressed as described, it has +been worth many a good bulger to me, apart from +its value for general purposes.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Later on the value of Tup’s Indispensable fished +wet impressed me much, and its resemblance to a +nymph induced me to give it a trial upon bulging +trout. For wet-fly purposes this is as near the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>dressing as I am at liberty to give: Primrose +tying silk lapped down the hook from head to tail, +a pale blue or creamy whisk of hen’s feather as +soft as possible and not long, three or four turns of +coarser untwisted primrose sewing silk at the tail, +body rather fat, of a mixed dubbing of a creamy +pink (invented by Mr. R. S. Austin, the well known +angler and fly-dresser of Tiverton), and a +soft blue dun hackle, very short in the fibre, at the +head, the dressing being preferably finished at the +shoulder behind the hackle. When this fly is +thoroughly soaked it has a wonderfully soft and +translucent, insect-like effect. It proved even +more successful than Greenwell’s Glory, and with +one or other I am almost always able to give a +good account of bulgers instead of coming empty +away.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF UNDER-WATER TAKING, ITS INDICATIONS, AND THE TIME TO STRIKE.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>Friends with whom I have discussed the use of +the upstream wet fly on chalk streams have frequently +said to me: “But how are you to know +when the trout takes, and when to strike?” It is +a very pertinent question, and the answer is not +to be given in a word. Often the indications which +bid you pull home the hook are so subtle and inconspicuous +that the angler is at a loss to account +for the miracle which is evidenced by his hooped +rod and protesting reel, but even in the roughest +<span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>water something helps the angler to divine the +moment for action. In a subsequent section, under +the heading “The Grey-Brown Shadow,” will be +found an account of a day’s sport with the wet fly +in an upstream wind so rough as to throw the +river into waves. The flash of the fish as it turns +to take the fly may often be seen, so dimly and so +momentarily as to be apt to escape notice if one +does not know what to look for; but I have on +several occasions even divined it through water +which reflected a bright white glare, and seemed +opaque to the eye. If on these occasions a hooked +trout had not proved the truth of my observation, +I could not have sworn to having certainly seen +anything move; but there through the surface, +which looked at the angle of view impenetrable to +the eye, I did seem to glimpse a faint pink flash +that corresponded to no movement on the surface, +and there was the fish soundly hooked, and no +fluke about it.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Often under an opposite bank, when the light +will not permit you to see your gut or fly, you will +see a trout suddenly ascending to near the top of +the water, and as suddenly sinking; then, if you +tighten, ten to one your hook is firmly in his jaws, +and you see him shaking his head savagely at the +unexpected restraint upon his liberty ere he makes +his first rush.</p> + +<p class='c011'>When fish are bulging, the moment of taking +the fly is generally marked by a swirl, and the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>angler should strike immediately. Fortunately, +a wet-fly strike, even if misconceived or mistimed, +is far less likely, so long as the fish is clean +missed and not lined, to alarm him than is a +strike with the dry fly, because the wet fly comes +out through the water at a point far below the +fish instead of being drawn along the surface.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In glassy glides, which are always fast water, +one either sees the fish turn to the fly, or, if the +light prevents it, one sees a little crinkle, or break, +work up through the water to the surface, which +warns the angler to strike. Often the gut lying +on the surface goes under as the fish draws in the +fly, and alike in daylight and moonlight it acts +as a float; and even if the fly be taken too deep +below water for any other indication to be in time, +it will warn the angler to attend to business. An +ingenious angler, as elsewhere explained, has conceived +and utilized successfully the idea of oiling his +gut cast for fishing wet directly upstream in rapid +water, and an excellent device it is for its occasion.</p> + +<p class='c011'>But perhaps the commonest indication of an +under-water taking in water of slow or moderate +pace is an almost imperceptible shallow humping +of the water over the trout. It is caused by the +turn of the fish as he takes the fly, and when the +angler sees it it is time to fasten. If he waits +until the swirl has reached and broken the surface +(and it may not be violent enough to do so), he +may be too late. If the fly drops directly over +<span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span>the fish, that shallow hump seems often almost +simultaneous with the lighting of the fly; but if +the cast be wide, your trout will not infrequently +dart a yard or more to a wet fly—when for a dry +fly he would do no such thing—and then the angler +has a warning of the coming of the shallow hump +on the surface which tells him that the iron is hot. +It may be questioned, however, whether it is not +more difficult to time correctly the strike for which +one has had such warning than one which comes +without warning.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In my experience, the trout which takes under-water +is generally very soundly hooked. A trout +taking floaters on the surface frequently sips them +in through a narrowly-opened slit of mouth, but +an under-water feeder draws in the fly by an extension +of the gills which carries it in with a full +gulp of water.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In the effort to divine the indications which call +for striking with the wet fly I confess I find a subtle +fascination and charm, and, when success attends +me, a satisfaction beside which the successful hooking +of a fish which rises to my floating fly seems +second-rate in its sameness and comparative obviousness +and monotony of achievement.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF ROUGH WATER AND GREY-BROWN SHADOW.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>It was blowing up freshly from the south-west as +the train ran into Winchester one April a year or +two back, and ere the water-meadows were reached +<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>the distinct bite in the wind had given ample +warning that, maugre the crisp yellow sunshine, +11.30 clanging from the cathedral spires left ample +time to get down to the water-side and put rod +and tackle together before the big dark olives or +the smaller and rather lighter olives, which warn +one to put up a Gold-ribbed Hare’s Ear, put in an +appearance. April was three parts through, yet +the backwardness of the season made conditions +correspond more nearly to three weeks earlier in +the normal year.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Soon everything was in readiness, and a couple +of dark Rough Olives, tied on gut, with dark starling +wing, heron herl body dyed in onion dye and +ribbed with fine gold wire, and hackle and whisk +of ginger, lightly dyed olive, were put into the +damper to soak, on the chance that the wet fly +might pay better than the dry.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Noon and the quarter-past chimed from the belfry, +and then a big dark olive drifted on to an eddy +near by, and, lifted out on the meshes of a landing-net, +was identified. The hint was enough. One +of the flies in soak—tied on No. 1 hooks—was +knotted on, and the surface was scanned for the +first dimple. Presently it was located—such a +tiny, infinitesimal, dacelike dimple, hinting rather +than proving the movement of a trout. It was +hardly noticeable in the turmoil made by the +strong ruffle of the upstream wind against the +somewhat full current of the stream. It was +<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>rather far across for accurate casting in such a +wind, and presently a sudden gust slammed the +line down upon the spot with such a splash as no +self-respecting trout could be expected to endure.</p> + +<p class='c011'>A movement upstream was prescribed by the +conditions, and presently another dimple like the +last was spotted in a more favourable position. +It was repeated after an interval, but no fly was +to be seen on the surface; so, without an attempt +at drying, the Rough Olive was despatched on his +mission, and lit a foot or so above the spot. +Again, and once more, it did so, and then there +was a hint of a grey-brown flicker in the hollow of +a wave. By instinct rather than reason the hand +went up, and the arch of the rod showed that the +steel had gone home. In due course the trout—a +fish of fourteen inches—was landed, and the angler +proceeded upward.</p> + +<p class='c011'>He soon found, however, that to reach and +cover the trout satisfactorily it behoved him to +cross, and tackle them from the other side, and he +made his way to the footbridge. On the way +down, on the main stream he saw another hint of +a rise in midstream, where the waves were highest. +The wind served him well, and the fly was over +the trout in no time. For four or five casts there +was no response; then again that grey-brown +shadow for a moment in the trough of a wave, +mounting rod, a screaming reel, and a vigorous +trout was battling for his life.</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>Arrived presently at the desired spot, the wet +Rough Olive was taken off and a dry-fly pattern +mounted and duly oiled, and offered to three fish +in succession, with the result that they all went +down. Then back once more to the wet-fly, and +thrice more ere 1.30 struck there was the faint +flash of grey-brown under water, the same instinctive +response, a spirited battle for life (successful +in one instance), and then the rise petered out and +not a fish was stirring. And though at 2.30 a strong +rise of the smaller olive came on, and lasted till +4.30, keeping hundreds of swallows and martins +busy, yet not another fish put up a neb. Perhaps +it was because the sun had gone in.</p> + +<p class='c011'>There are those who wax indignant at the use +of the wet fly on dry-fly waters. Yet it has a +special fascination. The indications which tell +your dry-fly angler when to strike are clear and +unmistakable, but those which bid a wet-fly man +raise his rod-point and draw in the steel are frequently +so subtle, so evanescent and impalpable +to the senses, that, when the bending rod assures +him that he has divined aright, he feels an ecstasy +as though he had performed a miracle each time.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER IV<br> <span class='c014'>SUPPLEMENTARY IN THE MATTER OF FLIES</span></h2> +</div> + +<h3 class='c015'>OF WET-FLY DRESSINGS FOR CHALK STREAMS.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>Assuming that we have made up our minds to +test the wet fly upon chalk streams, it must be +taken as an axiom that the ordinary patterns of +the dry fly will not do. They are built to dry +and to float. The patterns required must be built +to soak and to sink. Therefore bodies and hackles +which throw the water must be rejected in favour +of bodies and hackles which take up the water or +readily enter it. So dubbed bodies in place of +quills, hen hackles in place of cock’s, and of these +a minimum of turns in place of a maximum; and +if whisks are used, they, too, must be soft and +soppy. For the same reason, wing material, if +employed, should be so arranged as to take up +the maximum of water, and to let it go as unwillingly +as possible. Furthermore, the bulk of +material in proportion to the hook metal must be +reduced as far as possible.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Given these requirements, let us look around, +as I did, among all the various systems of wet-fly +<span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>dressing in use, from John o’ Groat’s to Land’s End, +and see what features we ought to borrow from +them. If we make up our minds, as I think we +shall, that it is desirable to expose the body of our +fly freely, we shall not adopt any system which +lays the wings low over the back of the fly, that +type being designed to secure what is called “a +good entry” for a dragging fly, and we have +nothing to do with dragging flies or any form of +river raking or dredging, or with any flies which, +like the Devonshire types, carry superabundance +of bright cock’s hackles. So we are limited to the +systems which dress their flies with upright wings, +like the Tweed and Clyde types, and to the soft +hackled Yorkshire style.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The conditions, however, of our waters confine +us to tiny patterns—Nos. 0 and 00 hooks in the +vast majority of cases, and occasionally No. 1—and +the supply of tiny soft absorbent hackles from +birds other than poultry, sufficiently small to leave +the body well exposed, is hardly to be had. So, +taking one consideration with another, it would +seem that the Tweed and Clyde patterns, being +used on a broad and in many places equablyflowing +river, will have advantages enough to +invite a trial.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Now, what are the features of the Tweed and +Clyde patterns? First there is the spare body, +dressed with tying silk only, with or without wire +ribbing, or lightly dubbed with soft fur, making +<span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>an absorbent dubbing; then a small and lightly-dressed +soft hackle, two turns at the outside, close +up behind a pair of wings tied in a bunch, and +either left single or, preferably for our purposes, +split in equal portions, and divided with the +figure-of-eight application of the tying silk behind +the wings and in front of the head, the whole +tied on a rank, and not too light, round-bend +hook.</p> + +<p class='c011'>It will be suggested that the trout does not see +the winged dun under water. That is approximately, +though not quite absolutely, true; but +for all that, being in some respects rather a stupid +person, if size and colour are right, he will not +make much bones of the position of the fly with +reference to the surface being incorrect. It might +be supposed, again, that a hackled pattern would +better suggest the nymph stage than a winged +pattern. This may be true, but the theory has +yet to be worked out in much detail before one +can dogmatize about it. Elsewhere my preliminary +efforts in this direction are described. +Here I could say that the wings built up of a +length of feather rolled into a bunch have the +advantage of taking up a lot of water, and not +releasing it readily; and they also assist to let the +fly down more lightly on the water than so lightly +dressed a fly would fall but for the wings. To let +a hackled fly down as lightly, one would need a +lighter wire and a larger hackle. The wings also +<span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>help the fly to swim correctly in the water, with +the weight of the straight, unsnecked, round-bend +hook as the counterpoise to the parachute action +of the wings.</p> + +<p class='c011'>My own belief is that wet flies tied on gut swim +better and hook better than those tied on eyed +hooks. As the drying action of casting is reduced +to a minimum, they are not so ready to go at the +neck as when used as dry flies; but if the angler +prefers it, there is no reason why he should not use +eyed hooks, though snecked bends of any kind and +upturned eyes are deprecated. Down-eyed hooks, +round, unsnecked, square-bend, and Limerick, in +the order named, are recommended.</p> + +<p class='c011'>When immediate sinking in rather fast water is +required, additional weight can be got by tying +on a second hook, and making the fly what is +technically known as a “double.” These are +more easily tied on gut than on eyed hooks, +though there is a maker who supplies eyed hooks +for doubles in sizes Nos. 1, 0, and 00, one packet +containing the eyed hook, and the other the +shorter-shanked companion hook to be lashed on. +In either case the hooks have to be separated with +the thumb-nail, so as to stand at an angle of +45 to 60 degrees before using. Lest it should be +suggested that these double hooks, fished wet, lend +themselves to a form of snatching, let me say that +I can only recall a single instance of a trout being +hooked on a wet double otherwise than fairly in +<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>the mouth, and in the course of my experiments +I have given them an extensive trial.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The range of wet-fly patterns required is not +extensive. I have found the following serve all +practical purposes:</p> + + <dl class='dl_1'> + <dt>1.</dt> + <dd><span class='sc'>Rough Olive.</span> + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Wings</em>: Darkest starling. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Body</em>: Heron herl from wing feather dyed brown-olive, and ribbed with fine gold + wire. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Legs</em>: Dirty brown-olive hen hackle, with dark centre and yellowish-brown points. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Hook</em>: No. 1. + </dd> + <dt>2.</dt> + <dd><span class='sc'>Greenwell’s Glory.</span> + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Wings</em>: Hen blackbird, dark starling, medium starling, or light starling (lighter + as season advances). + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Body</em>: Primrose or yellow tying silk, more or less waxed (lighter as season + advances), ribbed with fine gold wire. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Legs</em>: Dark furnace hen hackle (black centre, with cinnamon points) to medium + honey dun (lighter as season advances). + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Hook</em>: No. 1, 0, or 00. + </dd> + <dt>3.</dt> + <dd><span class='sc'>Blue Dun.</span> + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Wings</em>: Snipe. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Body</em>: Water-rat on primrose or yellow tying silk. Vary body by dressing with + undyed heron’s herl from the wing, and ribbing with fine gold or silver wire. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Legs</em>: Medium blue hen. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Hook</em>: No. 1 or 0. + </dd> + <dt>4.</dt> + <dd><span class='sc'>Iron Blue.</span> + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Wings</em>: Tomtit’s tail. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Body</em>: Mole’s fur on claret tying silk. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Legs</em>: Honey-dun hen with red points. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Hook</em>: No. 0 or 00. + </dd> + <dt>5.</dt> + <dd><span class='sc'>Watery Dun.</span> + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Wings</em>: Palest starling. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Body</em>: Hare’s poll or buff opossum on primrose tying silk. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Legs</em>: Ginger hen’s hackle. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Hook</em>: No. 00. + </dd> + <dt>6.</dt> + <dd><span class='sc'>Hare’s Ear.</span> + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Wings</em>: Dark or Medium starling. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Body</em>: Hare’s fur from lobe at root of ear; rib, narrowest gold tinsel or fine + gold wire. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Legs</em>: A few fibres picked out or placed between the strands of the silk and spun. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Hook</em>: No. 1 or 0. +<div><span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span></div> + </dd> + <dt>7.</dt> + <dd><span class='sc'>Black Gnat.</span> + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Wings</em>: Palest snipe rolled and reversed. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Body</em>: Black tying silk with two turns of black ostrich herl or knob of black + silk at shoulder. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Legs</em>: Black hen or cock starling’s crest, two turns at most. + </dd> + <dt> </dt> + <dd><em>Hook</em>: No. 00. + </dd> + </dl> + +<p class='c011'>It will be observed that hooks a size larger +than those employed for floaters can often be +used.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The very short range of hackled patterns is dealt +with later.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COLOUR OF TYING SILK IN DUBBED FLIES.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>Years ago I spent a week upon the Teme, fishing +wet, and I remember looking down one sunny +morning upon my cast in shallow water, and being +struck by the appearance of my Yellow Dun. +The body was dubbed with primrose wool, but +though, while dry or in the air, every turn of the +tying silk was completely hidden, yet, looking +down upon the fly in the water, I could see every +turn distinctly, and the dubbing was scarcely +noticeable, and I was glad that the tying silk +harmonized so perfectly with the hue of the +dubbing.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The importance of the base colour of the tying +silk was still more strongly brought home to me a +day or two later. I had tied some imitations of a +pale watery dun which was on the water with a +pale starling wing, light ginger hackle and whisk, +<span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>and a mixture of opossum and hare’s poll for +dubbing; but some I had tied with pale orange +silk, and some with that rich maroon colour called +Red Ant in Mr. Aldam’s series of silks. The +grayling took those tied with pale orange freely, +but would not look at those tied with Red Ant.</p> + +<p class='c011'>It maybe of less consequence for floating flies, but +for wet flies I have since always been careful to have +the tying silk either harmonious with the colour +of the natural subimago, or corresponding to the +colour of the spinner. For instance, for an Iron +Blue Dun I should use claret silk dubbed with +mole’s fur or water-rat; for the old-fashioned +mole’s fur Blue Dun, primrose to heighten the olive +effect in the dark blue; primrose silk also for a +Hare’s Ear; in the Willow-Fly, orange silk under +the mole’s fur or water-rat; in the Grannom, green +very darkly waxed, or black; and so on. The fact +is that the transparency of fur and feather is marvellous. +A starling’s wing looks much denser than +a dun’s, but place it over print, and you can read +every word through; and fur is practically as +transparent when wet.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE IMITATION OF NYMPHS, CADDIS, ALDER LARVÆ, AND SHRIMPS.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>For some time after my introduction to Tup’s +Indispensable I used it only as a dry fly, but one +July I put it over a fish without avail, and cast +it a second time without drying it. It was dressed +<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>with a soft hackle, and at once went under, and +the trout turned at it and missed. Again I cast, +and again the trout missed, to fasten soundly at +the next offer. It was a discovery for me, and I +tried the pattern wet over a number of fish on +the same shallow, with most satisfactory results. +I thus satisfied myself that Tup’s Indispensable +could be used as a wet fly; and, indeed, when +soaked its colours merge and blend so beautifully +that it is hardly singular; and it was a remarkable +imitation of a nymph I got from a trout’s mouth.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The next step was to try it on bulging fish, and +to my great delight I found it even more attractive +than Greenwell’s Glory. It was the foundation of +a small range of nymph patterns, but for under-water +feeders, whether bulging or otherwise, I +seldom need anything but Tup’s Indispensable, +dressed with a very short, soft henny hackle in +place of the bright honey or rusty dun used for the +floating pattern. The next I tried was a Blue-winged +Olive. There was a hatch of this pernicious +insect one afternoon. The floating pattern +is always a failure with me, and in anticipation I +had tied some nymphs of appropriate colour of +body, and hackled with a single turn of the tiniest +blue hackle of the merlin. It enabled me to get +two or three excellent trout which were taking +blue-winged olive nymphs greedily under the +opposite bank, and which, or rather the first of +which, like their predecessors, had refused to +<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>respond to a floating imitation. The body was a +mixture of medium olive seal’s fur and bear’s +hair close to the skin, tied with primrose silk, the +whisk being short and soft, from the spade-shaped +feather found on the shoulder of a blue dun cock.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Another pattern, successful in the last two +months of the season, is dressed with a very short +palish-blue dun or honey dun hen’s hackle, a body +of hare’s poll tied on pale primrose silk, with or +without a small gold tag and palest ginger whisks. +But it is evident that on this subject I am only +at the beginning of inquiry. Of course there is +nothing very new in the idea of imitating nymphs. +The half stone is just a nymph generally ruined +by over-hackling.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In July, 1908, I caught an Itchen fish one afternoon, +and on examining his mouth I found a dark +olive nymph. My fly-dressing materials were +with me, and I found I had a seal’s fur which, +with a small admixture of bear’s hair, dark +brown and woolly, from close to the skin, +enabled me to reproduce exactly the colours of the +natural insect. I dressed the imitation with short, +soft, dark blue whisks, body of the mixed dubbing +tied with well-waxed bright yellow silk, and +bunched at the shoulder to suggest wing-cases, the +lower part of the body being ribbed with fine gold +wire. Two turns of a very short, dark rusty +dun hackle completed the imitation, much to my +satisfaction.</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span>Apparently it was no less agreeable to the trout, +for, beginning to fish next morning at ten o’clock, +I found six fish rising on a shallow. I began with +a small Red Sedge, as no dun was yet on the water, +and missed several of them. Then, putting up +Pope’s Green Nondescript, I again missed three +fish in succession. I then bethought myself of my +nymph, and, knotting it on, in a few minutes I had +five of the six fish, and had lost the other. I then +found a trout feeding in a run, evidently under +water. I made a miscast at him, and he came a +yard across to take the nymph, but did not take a +good hold, for I lost him, only to secure a better +fish a few moments later. It then came on to +blow and pelt with rain in such sort as to render +it no sort of pleasure to continue fishing, and I +knocked off at eleven o’clock, with three brace +as the result of an hour’s fishing.</p> + +<p class='c011'>I have made me a shallow spoon-shaped net of +butterfly-net material to attach to the ring of my +landing-net. It has the advantage of taking anything +which comes down the stream, whether on +or under the surface, and its practical use demonstrates +itself in more ways than one. For instance, +in September, 1909, I went down to the river about +9.30, and, having put my rod together, sank +my net in the water, and watched for what came +down. There were a number of tiny diptera, +but no trace of dun or nymph. I therefore concluded +that it would be some time before the trout +<span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>would be lined up under the banks, and that I +could safely go away for an hour, and try certain +carriers where the feeding of fish is not dependent +on the rise. I did this, and put in over an hour’s +exciting, if not very remunerative, sport before +returning to the main river. The rise came on +about 11.30. But for my net I might have +wasted all the time on the bank, instead of conducting +a siege of three very handsome trout, and +bringing up two of them.</p> + +<p class='c011'>On occasion I have found a Dotterel dun tied +with yellow tying silk on a No. 00 hook, and +hackled with the tiniest dotterel hackle, after the +manner of Stewart (<em>i.e.</em>, not hackled all at the +head, but palmer-wise for halfway down the short +body), quite remunerative fished wet. This, I +imagine, is taken for a dun emerging.</p> + +<p class='c011'>But it is not only duns whose nymphal stages +may be imitated. I borrowed a tube containing +some nearly full-grown larvæ of the alder, and +though I am given to understand that in this stage +the alder passes the greater part of its existence in +the black mud formed by decaying vegetation, I +made a sort of imitation of them which rather +pleased me, and I tried it in Germany in mid-May. +Whether the trout are or are not familiar with the +natural insect in this stage I cannot say, but they +took the imitation with such avidity that I speedily +wore out my three specimens. They were only +made as an experiment, and I tried no more, as +<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>I felt qualms in my mind as to whether it was +quite the game to imitate this insect in this stage, +any more than it would be to fish an imitation of +the caddis. I am therefore not giving my recipe. +Nor do I give that for making a caddis or gentle +which I once tried, with mad success for a few +minutes, and gave up, conscience-stricken. I have +since seen alder larvæ in a glass tank in the Insect +House at the Zoological Gardens, and, though their +conditions are there no doubt quite artificial, they +were swimming so freely and seemed so much at +home in the water that I think it more than probable +that they venture into the open often enough +to be familiar to the trout. The long pale trailing +processes along their sides suggested to me whether +there was not to be found in the alder larvæ the +prototype of the bumble.</p> + +<p class='c011'>I was at one time greatly interested in an +attempt to imitate the fresh-water shrimp, and I +tied a variety of patterns, including several with +backs of quill of some small bird dyed greenish-olive, +and ribbed firmly while wet and impressionable +with silk or gold wire; but somehow I +never used or attempted to use any one of them. +I, however, gave one to an acquaintance, and he +tied it on, and, standing on a footbridge, cast it +downstream over some trout which were reputed +uncatchably shy. At the first cast a big fish +rushed at the shrimp, slashed it, and went off +leaving the one-time owner lamenting.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER V<br> <span class='c014'>SPECIAL CONDITIONS AND WET-FLY SOLUTIONS</span></h2> +</div> + +<h3 class='c015'>NERVES.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>Years ago, long ere the spirit of revolt was in me, +when I followed as closely as I knew how the +maxims of the apostles of the dry fly, and knew +no other method for chalk streams, I suffered +many blank days and much depression from a +state of weather and light which must be familiar +to all chalk-stream anglers—the more particularly +because the “d——d good-natured” and sympathetic +friend who knows nothing of the subject +picks it out to say knowingly: “What a beautiful +day for fishing!” It is clouded, dull, leaden, overhung, +and the reflected light on the water is a dead +milk-and-watery white; while, looking down into +its depths, one sees everything with a deadly and +crystalline clearness. There is no hint of thunder +about, but on such days the trout are all nerves. +Never are they so difficult to approach, never are +they so ready to dart off with that torpedo wave. +And if one finds a rising fish, and puts a dry fly over +him, even if he bolts not, he rises no more.</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>But at length there came a day when my first +timid experiments in the fishing of chalk streams +with the wet fly had proved encouraging enough +to lead to my having a small stock of wet-fly +patterns for chalk-stream fishing. It was a bad +sample of those days when the nerves of trout +seemed all on the jump, and I had fished from +10 a.m. to 3 p.m. without so much as a rise. It +was not that the fish were not rising. On the +contrary, they rose very well—not very much, +perhaps, but the best days are often those when +the rise is moderate. But this day every fish I cast +to went down at once, and too often I saw that +detestable torpedo wave, sometimes at the approach, +and more frequently at the first cast.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Soon after three I tied on a Tup’s Indispensable +dressed on gut, and crawled carefully to within a +long cast of a trout which rose at infrequent +intervals in a narrow side-stream under the opposite +side. My line trailed on the water as I approached, +and I made the minimum of effort to dry the fly ere +I delivered it, so as to attract as little attention as +possible to my movements. So it came about +that the fly, when it lit a yard or more to the left +of and above the trout—it was a bad cast as +regards direction—went immediately under. For +the <em>n</em>th time that day I saw that torpedo wave +as the fish darted through the shallow water. I +rose with a sigh, but as I did so my rod was a +hoop, and the reel screeched; for the trout’s dart +<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>had been <em>at</em> the fly, not from it, and it had gone a +full yard or more to fetch it. He was just short of +one and three-quarter pounds. Before four o’clock +I had another brace by the same method. They +were not easy, and I did not get every fish I tried, +or even many; but I got some where with the +dry fly I should assuredly have gone on getting +none, and the trout stood to be cast to in a way +they would not that day to the dry fly.</p> + +<p class='c011'>It is true enough that there are days and +times when the dry fly will beat the wet fly hollow, +but there are days when the converse is the case, +and from subsequent experience I can recommend +the trial of the wet fly on those dull, nervy days of +milk-and-watery glare.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE TROUT OF GLASSY GLIDES.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>There are places on most rivers where the water +comes swiftly and in solid volume down a slope +too slight in the incline to create a fall, too short +to create a rapid or stickle, and too smooth to +cause a broken surface, yet with a rapid run below. +The result is a glassy glide, gin-clear, with an air +of unusual smoothness, and such a pace that there +is an immediate drag upon any floating fly which +is laid upon the current. Often some of the +handsomest and best fighting trout in the river +are to be found in such places, where their blood +is constantly refreshed by the highly oxygenated +water, their health and energy kept up to the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>mark by the need of contending against its swiftness, +and the inducement to so contend is present +in the plentiful supply of food brought down by +the current.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Such a glide do I know well, with some excellent +fish always showing there, but never breaking the +surface; and for years I found them impregnable, +for the simple reason that, if one pitched a fly over +their noses, it was past them before they could +rise to it, and if one pitched it up enough to give +the fish a chance to take it they wouldn’t, because +there was a prompt and streaky drag if the line +were, as it could hardly help being, the least little +bit across stream. Even the natural fly would +sail over them unmolested.</p> + +<p class='c011'>But one day some years back, on a calm afternoon +in July, with not a trout rising, I was on the +Itchen, and I had crawled up some half-mile of +sedgy bank in search of a feeding fish without +finding one. But on the far side, in front of a +certain post, the remnant of a one-time fence, I +knew from experience that there was usually a +fish—at any rate at feeding-time. There was +nothing to suggest any particular dry fly, and +on the previous afternoon—a Sunday—I had spent +a pleasant twenty minutes watching a fish in +front of the stump taking something under water +with a sort of porpoise roll. It therefore occurred +to me to put up one of those little Greenwell’s +Glories, dressed by Forrest of Kelso on pairs +<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>of No. 00 hooks to gut, with which the name of +Mr. Ewen M. Tod is associated. I had bought +them in the previous spring to experiment upon +bulging trout. These flies are known as “doubles,” +and are not ready floaters. One puts a thumb-nail +between the barb, and forces them apart till the +two hooks form an angle of 45 degrees with each +other. The fly dropped a yard above the post and +sank. When it should have been nearing the +post, a faint swirl rising to the surface seemed a +sufficient indication of a movement below to +justify a raising of the rod-point, and the fish was +fast. In this manner it came about that a small +Greenwell’s Glory on double hooks terminated the +cast when the glassy glide above adverted to was +reached. A trout lay out in it in position to feed, +but though he moved a little from side to side, +and may have been intercepting food, he made no +rise. Keeping well out of sight, I dropped the +Glory on the far side of and in front of the fish, and +it at once went under. Again came the small +disturbance welling quickly to the surface; up +went my hand, and again a good trout was +fast.</p> + +<p class='c011'>That afternoon I killed two and a half brace of +good fish with the wet fly fished into likely places +without seeing a single rise. The other three fish—but +that is another story.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Since that day I have killed many a good fish in +that hitherto impossible spot, and one morning +<span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span>in July, 1908, I had two and a half brace in less +than an hour with a wet double Tup’s Indispensable +out of it.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE WET FLY IN POOLS, BAYS, AND EDDIES.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>There is probably no problem which has filled +the souls of so many dry-fly anglers with the +despair attending defeat as that presented by a +day when a cross-stream wind, whether up and +across, down and across, or straight across, drives +every dun under the opposite bank, and into little +pools and eddies between the prominences on +that bank, and so out of the line of the current +which would otherwise carry them along. Then +every big trout in the river seems to shift out of +the current and into the sheltered bay or eddy, +and there he sets to work collecting with busy neb +the little argosies which have lost their tide, and +are drifting helpless on slack water. It seems so +easy to drop the fly in the right place. So it is, +but if, as is many times more than probable, your +cruiser is away a foot or two, or is deliberate in +his movements, and does not take the fly at once, +your drag has made itself painfully evident, and +your fish is down for half an hour. No, on those +occasions the only chance with the dry fly is to +hit your fish with it on the tip of the nose at a +moment when few naturals are about. Then he +may snap it—but what a number of chances +against its so falling!</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>No, here is a case in which the wet fly is clearly +predicated, and it should be so dressed as to go +under without the least hesitation. The advantage +which the wet fly has is not that the trout is +taking the nymph in preference to the floating +dun, though he is probably doing that far more +than is apparent, but that, whereas a drag on the +surface is fatal and betrays the gut, an under-water +drag is not betraying, and the movement of +the fly caused by the drag may, in its beginning +at any rate, be even attractive to the trout, as +imparting motion suggesting life and volition to +an otherwise suspicious object. The drag also +serves to tighten instead of slackening the line, +so that a very small strike fixes the hook.</p> + +<p class='c011'>When the trout takes a wet fly in such a position, +the surface indications are by no means obvious; +but if the angler be on the alert to strike when +such indications come, it is wonderful how soon he +can pick up the knack, and what excellent fish +this method brings him. A strike which does +not touch the fish, being in the nature of an under-water +drawing of the fly, will often have no +scaring effect upon a feeding fish, where a strike +with a floating fly would send him headlong to +cover.</p> + +<p class='c011'>It is difficult to pick among my recollections one +instance more illustrative than another of the +value of this method, but I will take an afternoon +in July, 1908. It was a cold day for the time of +<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>year, with a keen north-westerly wind across and +a little down. A few little pale duns were going +down, being beaten by the wind into and among +the bays along the opposite bank, where they +dodged in and out among the flags. Three trout, +and three only, could I find moving, and they were +taking every dun which went over them. I tried +Little Marryat, Medium Olive, Flight’s Fancy, +Ginger Quill, and Red Quill, in vain. In fact I +put all three down. But they meant feeding, and +were soon going again. It was the last day of a +seven-day visit. I had so far forty-six trout, and +I wanted to round off the fifty. I put up as +an experiment a tiny dotterel hackle, tied with +primrose tying silk in the true Stewart style, not +with the fibres radiating from the head, but palmer-wise +for halfway down the body. The trout had it +at the very first offer, and was duly landed. I went +on to the next, and got him almost immediately. +The third, for some reason, had no use for Dotterel +duns, but the moment I covered him with a Tup’s +Indispensable he slashed it, and joined the other +two in my creel. I looked in vain for a fourth, and +there was no evening rise, so I had to leave off +with but forty-nine of my fifty. But for the +wet fly, I am convinced I should have had to +content myself with the single brace which the +morning rise had brought me, and that would +have been a disappointing ending to a good seven +days.</p> + +<div> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span> + <h3 class='c017'>OF THE JUDICIOUS USE OF THE MOON.</h3> +</div> + +<p class='c016'>Though blinder than the proverbial bat in any +slanting light, and therefore not as fortunate as I +should like to be in fishing the evening rise, and +though academically of opinion that fishing should +cease when the dusk no longer lets the angler +discern his fly, I confess to being at least as unwilling +as any better endowed with sight to leave +the water-side while the trout are still busy +sucking down the spinners; but there are occasions +when, if the moon be up enough to cast black +shadows under the banks, and I can find the +suitable spot with rising fish, I envy no man his +superior eyesight—mine is good enough. Let me +illustrate my meaning by describing the occasion +on which I made my little discovery.</p> + +<p class='c011'>It was an evening in July. I had not begun +fishing before four o’clock, and the afternoon had +only earned me a single trout, and he no great +shakes, either. The evening rise came on, and +the trout began to feed briskly; but my infirmity +was against me, and I missed or misjudged several +rises, and it began to look as if I were going to +make nothing of my opportunity, when I came +to a bend where the current swung in pitch-black +shadow under the opposite bank, while between +the near edge of the shadow and my bank the +stream ran molten moonlight. Round the bend +in the dark I could hear the trout feeding away +<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>gaily, and the rings of their rises surged into the +silver of the lighted current.</p> + +<p class='c011'>It seemed a mad thing to do, but I despatched +my Tup’s Indispensable to a spot in the dark as +near as I could judge above the ring of a good +fish. My cast lay like a hair on the surface, stretching +into the dark, not too taut. Suddenly I saw +my gut draw straight upon the current, the farther +end disappearing under the sheen of the moonlight, +and, without waiting to think, I raised my rod-point, +to find myself in battle with a solid fish. +Thrice in the twenty minutes the rise lasted did I +repeat this experience. Each trout was soundly +hooked, and a nice level lot they were, running +from one and a quarter to one and a half pounds. +Thus was success at the last moment pulled by a +fluke out of almost certain defeat. It is not always +possible to find place and light serving in this +way, but if you do, make use of the moon.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>THE WET-FLY OIL TIP.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>In my observations upon the judicious use of the +moon, I indicated the advantage to be derived, in +cases where the light prevented the rise from being +otherwise detected in due time, from watching the +gut cast as a float signalling the taking of the fly. +Indeed, it is not only by night that the cast may +be watched with advantage, but often by day when +casting a fly, wet or dry, but especially wet, into +a bad light, while the cast or part of it may be +<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>seen floating on a glassy piece of water. It is now +some years since, in the columns of the <cite>Fishing +Gazette</cite>, I called attention to what I described as +the “wet-fly oil tip” in this connection. I take +no credit for this invention. It belongs entirely +to Mr. C. A. M. Skues, the secretary of the Fly-fishers’ +Club, and its discovery came about in +this way:</p> + +<p class='c011'>We were fishing opposite banks of a German +trout stream, the Erlaubnitz, and the day rise +of fly was over. The trout, which had been +hovering over their pockets in the weeds and in +the runs between them, had dropped out of sight, +and it was obvious that it would need something +to attract them more noticeable than the pale +watery duns which were the staple of the season. +We agreed upon Soldier Palmers tied with bright +scarlet seal’s fur. Presently the far bank began +catching them, though he was fishing upstream +wet in rather fast water. I hailed him, and he +said he had paraffined his gut cast to within the +last two links from the fly and watched his cast. +I was not above a hint, and in a minute or two I +was experiencing the benefit of the wet-fly oil tip, +and we were kept busy till six o’clock brought on +the usual rise of Little Pale Blue of Autumn, and +a change to floating patterns. It also involved a +change of cast, for a cross-stream cast with oiled +gut betrays you with a vile drag. It is a disadvantage +of paraffining your gut that it limits +<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>you to one cast—viz., that directly upstream. +But there are times when it is well to accept +the limitation.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF GENERALSHIP AND THE WET FLY.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>There is a bend on Itchen where the water runs +deep and black. Over the best of it hang three +large trees, under which, if trout be rising anywhere +on the river, they will be found pegging +away, and often when they are moving nowhere +else. The place is near the spot where anglers +foregather for lunch and a pull at pipe or flask; +so the fish under these trees are hammered more +than a little, and their knowledge is in direct proportion +to their experience. Here, too, anglers +usually take apart their split canes in the evening, +and, ere they do so, have one last chuck in the +dusk with Sedge, Coachman, or large Red Quill at +one or all of these rising trout, but it is the rarest +thing for one to be caught. I have caught six of +them in fifteen years. Perhaps it is because to +cover them one must fish straight across from the +opposite bank—no other attack is possible—and +they can hardly fail to see rod and angler.</p> + +<p class='c011'>But it fell about in the year of grace 1909 that +my lawful occasions took me along the right bank, +on which the trees grew, past the haunt of these +aggravating risers, and I took the occasion to +observe. None of them were moving at the time, +and the water was lower by some inches than the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>normal. I looked in the place where the best of +the risers was usually present when attending to +business, but he was not there. Four or five yards +farther upstream the bottom, from being shallow, +dipped suddenly to the deep, with a sharp brown +earthy edge, and there, lying in shelter from the +current under the earthy ledge at the head of the +hole, lay a trout which I put down at a comforting +two pounds. He saw me, and slithered into his +fastness, but I did not forget the hint. Many +times had I cast to that trout when rising, but +always under a tree some yards below. Now I +would cast to him when not rising, and I would +fish him in his hide. The lowest of a small cohort +of ribbon-weeds craning their tips gently over the +surface indicated the neighbourhood of the lip of +the hole, and, scanning the opposite side carefully, +I marked the exact bunch of yellow flower from +behind which I ought to deliver my cast, and +marked on the hither bank a bunch of purple +hemlock which indicated the centre of the hole.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Later in the day from the opposite bank I sent +over a wet Tup’s Indispensable to the weed’s edge +several times without avail.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The next time I came down the fish was rising +to surface food, and I left him severely alone. +My time was to be when he was not rising, for no +trout seems able to resist a nymph at any time, +even if not feeding, and a nymph of sorts he should +have. Coming back later, I found stillness reigning; +<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>so, mounting a Tup’s Indispensable, I soaked +it well, and flicked it over to the edge of the weeds. +It lit, and went under, leaving the gut for the +most part along the surface. The gut drifted +down, the fly end slowly slipping under the upper +film. The fly was withdrawn and the cast repeated. +Once more the gut lay along the surface; +once more it slipped slowly through to a point; +then it seemed to move under with a certain +decision. I raised my rod-point with a drawing +action, and the trout which had defied ten thousand +dry flies was on. He wasn’t quite two pounds, +but it doesn’t matter. It was generalship which +got him, which discerned that in his holt he was +possibly accessible to the seductions of the casual +nymph-suggesting wet fly in a way in which he +was not accessible to the temptations of the too +well known dry fly in the place of vantage where +he daily fed.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>A POTTED TROUT, AND ONE OTHER.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>When the drowners are out in the water-meadows +flushing the ditches till they flood the +tables and drench the grasses with water seeking +its way back through the herbage to the river by +way of ditch, drain, and carrier, the wise old trout +who know their business may be found in narrow +ditches and channels down to foot-wide runnels in +search of the earthworm and the miscellaneous +pickings of the grasslands. Again, when July +<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>comes round, and the season of minnowing is indicated, +the big trout once more make their way, in +search of minnows, into the narrower irrigation +channels of the water-meadows. So ardent are +they at times in pursuit of their quarry that on +occasion it is possible to net them out without their +becoming aware of their danger.</p> + +<p class='c011'>On one occasion I got three good trout thus from +behind at one scoop of the landing-net, and turned +them back into the main.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Often, if they get into a channel with a constant +flow and a steady food-supply, trout will not care +to drop back to the river, and will take up a +position of strength, where, inaccessible to the fly +of the angler, they daily increase in size and lustihood. +Such potted fish are almost entirely subaqueous +feeders, a floating dun rarely crossing +their field of vision. They grow dark and copper-coloured, +and very unlike the fish of the river from +which they hail.</p> + +<p class='c011'>One such fish do I remember, who took up his +holt in the eddy just above a hatch-hole, through +which ran the whole of a brisk stream some two to +two and a half feet wide, turning at right angles to +do so, after impinging on his eddy as on a sort of +water-buffer. It was not hard to approach the +place without being seen, but the moment one +looked over the edge his troutship would flash +down through the hatch-hole and into the racing +stream beneath. Several times I mounted a +<span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>Sedge, tied on a No. 2 hook attached to a strong +cast, and dibbed cautiously over the edge. Once +I caught a companion trout of one pound five +ounces, but on all other occasions the attempt +was fruitless.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Tired at length of these failures, and not pleased +that such a trout as our friend of the hatch-hole +eddy should give no sport to the fly, one afternoon +I approached the hatch-hole from below, slid down +my wide and large landing-net into the thrust of +the stream, and looked suddenly over into the +eddy. There was a brown flash to the hole, and +next moment the trout was kicking in the net—black +hogback with red copper sides and gleaming +white belly, two and a half pounds, and as fat as +a pig. Swiftly I conveyed him the needful fifty +yards or so to a side-stream some ten or twelve +yards wide, and turned him carefully loose. He +made no pretence of being scared, but moved +leisurely away across and up stream. I watched +him cross a patch of weeds and enter a gravelled +clearing, where a tidy trout lay, butt him out of +it, and establish himself in his place. In a few +moments he moved up into the next place, +butted out the brace of trout which occupied it, +and took the position of vantage. He did not +remain long, but moved to the next pool, again +ejecting the occupants.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Still dissatisfied, he moved higher up to where +the stream was narrowed by camp-sheathing to +<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>support a low wooden bridge over which carts pass +to carry the meadow hay. Here he ejected the +three or four occupants, and established himself +finally, with his neb close up under the sill of the +bridge—too close for a fly to be got in ahead of +him—obviously with the key of the larder in his +pocket; and here daily for the next five days of +my stay I saw him firmly planted, but, though I +plied him with Sedge, and Quill, and Tup’s Indispensable, +wet fly and dry fly, I never got an offer +or an indication of a desire to offer from him, nor +did I ever see him break the surface, and I left +him <em>in situ</em> at the end of my visit.</p> + +<p class='c011'>During these five days, however, crossing from +the smaller stream to the main, I saw a trout in +a foot-wide runnel hovering with that quivering +of the fins that indicates a willingness to feed. +He was not a big fish—about one pound—but I +thought it would be sport to try and cast to him +and catch him in so narrow a channel, and I knelt +down to deliver the fly. He saw me, however, +and moved up. It was on my way ’cross meadow +to the main, so I followed him till I came to the +place where the runnel’s water-supply issued from +a pipe which entered its head, at right angles to +its course, from the centre of one of the tables. +The flow from the pipe had worried out a corner +hole, which was wide and deep enough to admit +my whole landing-net and a bit over, and I dipped +it in. I saw the amber gleam of my trout as he +<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>slashed by me and fled back down the runnel he +had ascended, but wriggling in the net which I +lifted was a bouncing fish, black, hogbacked, with +copper sides and white belly, in first-rate fettle, +and weighing better, at a guess, than one and a +half pounds, evidently an old inhabitant of that +corner. The main was but a few yards off, and +I carefully turned in my captive.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Two days later I was fishing up the bank of the +main in blazing sunshine, searching for a rising +fish, but finding none, when my attention was +attracted by a movement in the water close under +my bank some ten or fifteen yards above the spot +where I turned the trout in. I dropped my wet +Greenwell’s Glory a foot or so from the spot, and, +answering the draw of the floating gut signalling +some under-water adhesion, I tightened on a nice +fish, and after the usual preliminary exhibition of +coyness, emphasized by sundry jumpings, I persuaded +him to come ashore. The spring-balance +said one pound ten ounces. Colour, size, and shape, +were identical with the trout I had turned back +two days before, and though, of course, I cannot +prove it, I have no doubt he was the same.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Now, why did one of these potted trout take the +fly, and the other refuse? This is my theory: +Both had got the exclusive habit of subaqueous +feeding, but the big one had his nose in a position +where it was impossible to get a wet fly to him +so as to pitch above him, or even alongside of his +<span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>head, and the water was too fast for it to be worth +the while of a fish of his calibre to turn and follow +a mere nymph. The smaller fish was in a position +to be covered, and the moment the nymph came +to him under water he had it as a matter of course. +Possibly, in the same position the larger trout +might have done the same.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF TWO SATURDAY AFTERNOONS.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>They were consecutive. Both were in August, +1909, and the reason why they are recorded is not +because of any remarkable success, but because +they illustrate varying conditions on the same +river, proving amenable to varying treatment.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The first found me by the water-side soon after +two o’clock. The morning rise was completely +over. Not even a grayling was rising. The water +was deadly still. A full stream was running, +because the hay-makers were in the meadows, and +no water that could be kept out was being let into +ditches and carriers; so it was no good exploring +them for stray risers, as at other times I might +have done. For some time I explored likely +places under the sedges with floating flies—No. 1 +Red Sedge with hare’s-ear body, Red Ant, and +Tup’s Indispensable—but without eliciting the +faintest response. Then about five o’clock I put +up a wet Greenwell’s Glory, and cast it upstream, +wet, into every little likely pool between the bank +and the weed-bed which grew intermittently a +<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>yard or two out from the bank. The change was +immediate. By six o’clock I had three and a half +brace of average fish (biggest one pound ten +ounces), all on the same fly. Fish would surge a +yard or more to meet it, would even turn downstream +and take it, though the floating fly had +not moved a single one to offer. There was no +evening rise.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The following Saturday I was down at the same +time. There was the same faint westerly breeze, +and much the same light. A few—very few—grayling +were taking black gnats for a short time +after my arrival, but they soon stopped entirely, +and I had only one in my basket. Not a rise +dimpled the surface. I continued, however, casting +a Black Gnat under my own bank—the right—for +some forty or fifty yards, without an offer. I had +the mortification of seeing three handsome trout +move out from position, and I was just about to +change to a Hare’s Ear Sedge when I saw a grass-moth +flutter out of the sedges and across the water. +As luck would have it, I had four floating Grannom +in my cap, and it didn’t take long to knot one on.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In a few minutes I was into a trout, which took +as the fly lit. I landed him, and then another, +and yet a further brace, every one of which took +the Grannom without the least hesitation. Then +I found myself trenching on the beat of another +angler, and I bethought me that the three fish I +had disturbed might be back in position; so I +<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>turned down, and, getting below them, cast carefully +to where they ought to be. I whipped one +fly off; then with the new fly I rose the first of +them—quite a nice fish—hooked him, and lost +him after a short tussle. Examining the hook, I +found it pulled out nearly straight owing to a soft +wire. Whether that rattled me or not I don’t +know, but I left my two remaining Grannom in +the other two fish successively. Having no more, +I fell back on the Sedge in vain. Equally vain +were Red Ant (dry) and Greenwell’s Glory and +Tup’s Indispensable (wet), and, as there was no +evening rise, I finished up with a basket of two +and a half brace, which with better handling +should have been four brace.</p> + +<p class='c011'>On each of these afternoons there was no rise +of fish or fly; and on one nothing but a floating +pattern did any good, on the other nothing but +a sunk pattern.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The inference that I might have gone back +blank on the first occasion but for the supplemental +aid of the wet-fly method does not seem +far-fetched.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER VI<br> <span class='c014'>UNCLASSIFIED</span></h2> +</div> + +<h3 class='c015'>OF HOVERING AND SOARING, AND OF CRUISING TROUT.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>The trout that is glued to the bottom is generally +a pretty hopeless fish. He is either not willing to +feed, or, being willing, his suspicions have been +aroused and he has gone down. Pretty stories +are told of how such fish are occasionally startled +into taking by the fly being slammed down with +violence on or just behind their heads, but no such +instance has come within my experience.</p> + +<p class='c011'>But the trout which is hovering in mid-water +or near the surface is always a hopeful subject. +Anglers will tell you he is willing to feed. In my +belief, he is more than that; he is generally actively +feeding—under water.</p> + +<p class='c011'>I remember a trout which lay in the same hole +with six grayling. He was hovering not far below +the surface, but would have nothing to say to a +series of dry flies of appropriate pattern offered +him; but a wet Greenwell’s Glory was too much +for him, and he turned and took it first cast. He +<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>was undoubtedly feeding on nymphs, but not over +weed, and so not bulging; yet he presented only +the appearance of hovering, or, as Walton generally +calls it, “soaring.”</p> + +<p class='c011'>Another likely fish is the cruiser on his way to +his feeding-station. If I see a wedge-shaped ripple +advancing irregularly upstream, and broken at +times by a dimple in the centre, I always feel +hopeful, and I know that such trout are nearly +always of unusual size for the water. It is, of +course, difficult to place the fly exactly; but if +that difficulty is overcome, your trout will take +it most unsuspiciously. The best course is +to throw to one side and a little ahead of the +last rise.</p> + +<p class='c011'>A more difficult proposition is the cruiser who +has a small defined beat. You find him moving +up the bank in such wise that every cast is short +of his rise; but suddenly, if you are not ware, you +will find that he has turned and sailed downstream +to the bottom of his beat, and that your +rod and line are absolutely over him. Such a +trout seems always fastidious and picksome, but +it is all the more gratifying to circumvent him. +He is usually taking toll of insects collected in +eddies, and a spinner of sorts is more likely +to take him than a dun; but he will often +rush for a fly that is being withdrawn under +water.</p> + +<div> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span> + <h3 class='c017'>OF THE PORPOISE ROLL.</h3> +</div> + +<p class='c016'>There is one peculiarly irritating kind of rise in +which trout indulge. Just like porpoises, they +come up, and, scarcely breaking the surface with +the head, expose first the back fin and then the +tail as they go down. Often of an afternoon or +evening it seems as if every trout in the river were +busy at this game. The difficulty is to know, on +such occasions, what they are taking. “Detached +Badger” (p. 119 of “Dry-Fly Fishing”) suggests +larvæ, but though at times I have caught fish thus +rising with sunk flies, I am inclined to doubt their +taking nymphs or larvæ, and to suspect spinners. +This (even if the trout be taking nymphs) is not +properly described as “bulging,” that term being +confined to the swashing rises when a fish rushes to +and fro, making visible waves, ending in a boil as +it turns in the act of fielding the subaqueous insect. +Fortunately, this porpoise type of rise is rare, for +when trout indulge in it sport is consistently bad. +I have been promising myself for the last two or +three seasons that, when I drop on such a rise, I +will try Mr. F. M. Halford’s spent spinner patterns, +but in an average number of days’ fishing I have +failed to drop on an occasion when the trout have +been thus rising.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER VII<br> <span class='c014'>SUNDRY CONSIDERATIONS</span></h2> +</div> + +<h3 class='c015'>OF THE RELATION OF PATTERN TO THE POSITION OF TROUT, AND HEREIN OF THE TAKING OFF OF WARY WILLY.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>It is perhaps a small matter which is treated under +this head, but anything which helps the angler to +a correct selection of fly is so much to the good, +and the point I want to make here is that the +haunt of a fish is an item to be taken note of in +deciding what items to put upon the menu to be +offered for his selection. For instance, if your +trout be in position in the middle of a fairly wide +stream, and that be his habitual post, it is practically +little good giving him an imitation of any +insect which haunts the bank only, such as alder +in its season, sedge, grass-moth, or willow-fly, +which, on the other hand, may be tried in their +season, with every prospect of success, upon fish +under the banks.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Well do I remember how marked this rule was +in its application on a day in September, 1903, on +a German limestone river. In the middle the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>willow-fly, which was out in quantity that day, +was no good. The trout wanted duns, and willow-flies +were no use to them, or probably there, away +from the banks, were practically unknown; but +under the alder and willow-fringed banks on either +side the trout took the spent willow-fly freely, +and, of thirty-seven trout, no less than thirty-four +fell that day to the willow-fly under the banks, +but not one from mid-river. Many a time the +trout will take a sedge or an imitation of the grass-moth +under the banks when quite shy of them in +midstream. In connection with this I may +record an incident which is framed in my mind as +the strange disappearance of Wary Willy.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Wary Willy was almost a public character. He +inhabited a club water not far from Winchester, +and was always at his post when duty called. But +he was of an obliging turn of mind, and always +ready to show sport to the new-comer who might +be tempted to put a fly over him. Yet it was not +for nothing that he had earned his name, for, though +many had risen him, none was recorded as having +hooked him. His holt was under a grassy bank +(right of the river), about three yards above the spot +where a willow stump extended a solitary branch at +right angles to the current, a foot above and about +two yards out into the stream, so that any angler +who paid his respects to William had to send his +invitation across the willow-bough, a state of +things which led to difficulties and language for the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>angler, and to an amused retreat on the part of +Willy. Yet a short time later he would be back +at his post, adding to his collection of the +Ephemeridæ with undiminished zest.</p> + +<p class='c011'>I was not a member of the club, but I paid a +visit to a friend who had a rod, and he very good-naturedly +insisted on my trying his nine-foot +Leonard over Wary Willy, and he brought me to the +place. I had no tackle with me, so I had to use my +friend’s floating flies. The wind was light and in +the right direction, and I got my fly over the +branch nicely and covered him several times, and +as I let my reel-line drop on the water below the +branch the current carried my fly back successfully +a number of times; but at length I was hung up, +and when I tried to release myself Willy had +business elsewhere.</p> + +<p class='c011'>On this water the club members and the +keepers said that sedges were no use. It was +a dun and spinner water only. So when in +the afternoon I met the head-keeper, and saw +a small Red Sedge in his cap, I made no bones +of asking for it, as it was of no use. Borrowing +the Leonard once more, I tied on the Red +Sedge, and stole up cautiously to Willy’s abode. +But just ere I got to position a fish rose to the +right of his place, about three yards out from the +bank. I did not wish him to scare Willy, so, to +get him out of the way first, I dropped the sedge +upon his nose, and he had it immediately. He +<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>was very indignant at the imposition that had +been put upon him, and turned several somersaults +in the air, and altogether put up quite a good fight +for a fish of his ounces, which numbered twenty-five, +before my friend’s landing-net received him. +I had, however, steered him carefully, so that +his antics should not disturb William, and I +approached that worthy’s holt with a modest confidence +that William stood in the way of getting +a surprise. But William was not there. William +never came back. He couldn’t. He was dead, +and in my friend’s landing-net. But it was several +days before remorse began to work in me, for it +was not till a week or so later that my friend told +me of the disappearance of Wary Willy. But +Willy had always been fished with duns. He +knew all the patterns of Holland and Chalkley and +Ogden Smith, but never had he had cause to suspect +the genuineness of a sedge—and so, good-bye Willy!</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE USE OF SPINNERS DURING THE RISE OF DUNS, AND HEREIN OF THE VAGARIES OF THE BLUE-WINGED OLIVE.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>“The Red Quill,” says Mr. F. M. Halford, “is +one of the sheet-anchors of the dry-fly fisherman +on a strange river when in doubt.” Never was a +truer word spoken. Mr. Englefield of Winchester, +I believe, conducted the experiment of confining +himself to the Red Quill (in a variety of sizes and +shades, and with and without the addition of gold +and silver tags) for a whole season, and did as +<span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span>well with the one fly as in other seasons with a +larger selection. And it is a remarkable fact that +the Red Quill, bearing more resemblance to a Red +Spinner than to a dun, will frequently kill during a +rise of duns as well as, or better than, quite a good +imitation of the dun itself. It will also be found +that during the rise of any kind of dun its spinner +will often take as well as, if not better than, the +subimago pattern. For instance, a Red Spinner +during a rise of olives, a Claret Spinner when the +iron blue dun is on, and a Sherry Spinner when +the blue-winged olive is on.</p> + +<p class='c011'>All the spinners do not die and fall spent on +the water over night. Some come on to the water +in the cool of the early morning, and if the angler +tries in the hot weather for an early morning trout, +the spinner may be commended to him as giving +him his best chance, so far as floating patterns +are concerned. And when, before the rise comes +on, an odd fish or so may be found in position +putting up occasionally at something, spinners +may legitimately be suspected. Therefore it may +be that, when the rise comes on, the memory of a +recent acquaintance with more delicious morsels +than the current duns leads to a readiness on his +part to absorb the floating imitation spinner.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The blue-winged olive is a large and handsome +fly, and its hatch is usually an evening matter, +though I have seen it at all hours of the day. But +when it is on, and there are other duns at the same +<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>time, it is always possible to distinguish the trout +which are taking the blue-winged olive by the +curious shape of the boil they make in taking it; +a kidney-shaped boil, with two distinct whorls +right and left. And if the angler is provided with +Orange Quills on No. 1 hooks, and will pick out +these fish, he may count on sport worth remembering, +though possibly not a spinner may be on the +water at the time. Curiously enough, such a thing +as a good imitation of the blue-winged olive in +the subimago form has yet to be invented. +Patterns are tied which will kill an occasional +trout, but the Orange Quill, if the rise be anything +like a good one, means three or four brace, and +probably all big fish.</p> + +<p class='c011'>One evening, June 24 in 1908, I ran down +to Winchester by the 6.50 train to see Eton +v. Winchester on the next day, and I got down +there about eight o’clock. I had not meant to +fish overnight, but I thought there was time for a +cast before the dusk drew in, and I picked up a nine-foot +Leonard and a landing-net, stuck a damper +with a cast in my pocket, and a small box of flies, +and got down to a broad shallow. I found several +fish rising, and at once diagnosed the blue-winged +olive. So I tied on a large Orange Quill and +cast to the nearest. Up he came, and was off +with a flounder. Without losing a moment, I +covered the next with the ensuing cast. The +same thing occurred, and I promptly dropped my +<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>next cast a yard to the right over the third fish. +He, too, came up and fastened. He went straight +to weed, but, holding him quite lightly, I soon +had the satisfaction of feeling him beat himself +free of the weeds, and presently I netted him out. +The fly was quite soaked, and I tried to change it, +but it was too dark, and so I knocked off, having +risen three trout to the Orange Quill in three +successive casts.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Some years ago I dressed for my friend, M. Louis +Bouglé, of Paris and the Fly-fishers’ Club, a winged +imitation of the blue-winged olive, which is at +certain seasons almost the only dun on the chalk +streams of Normandy, and he can kill an occasional +fish on it. Its dressing is immaterial, for I +never could do any good with it myself; but one +evening I was fishing the Varennes with M. Bouglé, +when there came on a good fall of blue-winged olive +spinner. My friend caught a trout with his +pattern, and by the aid of a spoon I got from its +stomach, and turned into a glass, three large +greenish-amber spinners, with the distinctive three +setæ; and next morning in a capital light I tied +an imitation of these insects, spent-gnat-wise, +with seal’s fur body of palish yellow-green olive of +appropriate mixture of furs. Next evening we +each got fish with these imitations, M. Bouglé +more than I, and I have always been promising +myself that I will put it up one blue-winged +olive evening on the Hampshire rivers; but +<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>when the occasion has come, and that distinctive +rise is seen, I have never been able to +resist taking the Orange Quill rather than the +spent olive pattern out of the box where they +repose together. It is hard to resist three or +four brace.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF GENERAL FEEDERS, AND HEREIN OF THE UNDOING OF AUNT SALLY.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>There are places in most rivers—generally, I +think, about the spots most frequented by man—where +trout establish themselves, which seem, +though willing enough to take duns as they come, +to be independent of them as a staple food, and +to take gaily every day and all day long, and +often far into the night, whatever fly-food comes +along, always excepting, <em>bien entendu</em>, the angler’s +flies, however delicately offered. Such trout are +readily put off their feed, but not for long, and +the angler, returning to the spot after a short +absence, may make up his mind to find his friend +back in position, pegging away as freely as +ever. Everyone has a chuck at these fish—no +one can resist them; but it is a rare thing +for one to be caught—and the Coachman +may account for a few. A strong ruffle in the +water <em>may</em> enable you to take one unaware, +but, generally speaking, the ordinary tactics, +whether dry-fly or wet, are thrown away on such +fish, and the only chance is to fall back on something +<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>exceptional either in lure or in method of +attack, or both.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Followeth the example of</p> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> + <div class='nf-center'> + <div><em>The Undoing of Aunt Sally.</em></div> + </div> +</div> + +<p class='c011'>She was called Aunt Sally because everyone +felt bound to have a shy at her. Her coign of +vantage was near the bottom of the water, where +the fishery begins, and her irritating “pip, pip,” +as she took fly after fly in the culvert that was her +home was too much for the nerves of nine anglers +out of ten, so that the absurdest efforts to circumvent +her were made daily—efforts to float a dry +upwinged dun down the culvert from the top: +result, immediate and irremediable drag; efforts +to flick a fly upstream to her in the culvert from +below: result, broken rod-tops, barbless hooks, +flies flicked off against the brickwork, and other +disasters, leading to profanity.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The <em>locus in quo</em> was a stream in the South of +England, flowing some fifteen yards or so wide at +a good even pace, with a nice purl on it, down to +and past a deep hole used for bathing by the +farmers’ lads. From this hole, a culvert in the +left bank, a yard wide and, say, four yards long, +diverts a considerable body of the stream into a +new channel, to drive a mill in the town below. +This was the fastness in which Aunt Sally had +taken up her abode, and throughout the spring +and summer had defied all efforts to dislodge her.</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>It was my first visit to the stream that year, and +from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. on an August day I had +worked away for meagre results. There was no +rise of fly after ten o’clock, and a strong rise of +water-rats. Three trout had I turned over, and one +of one pound two ounces reposed in my bag. I had +not seen a rising fish for hours, when, weary and +disappointed, I drifted down the right bank to the +bottom of the fishery, and sat down to rest on the +steps which are set in the hole to assist bathers in +clambering out.</p> + +<p class='c011'>“Pip!” I heard coming from somewhere. I +looked upstream, I looked under my own bank, +but not a sign of a ring was to be seen. “Pip, +pip!” again. At last, leaning low and looking +through the culvert, I saw, some two yards down, +what I took to be a dimple of a rising fish. Watching +a few moments, I saw it repeated, and my +spirits revived. My point was fine, so I took it off +and knotted on a yard of sound Refina gut, and +ended it with a brown beetle with peacock’s herl +body and red legs. I soaked him well, so that +there should be no drag on the surface, and then, +getting my length for the other side, let the fly +and gut drag in the stream till the moment I made +my cast. Fly and gut together struck the brick +face of the culvert, and fell in a heap at the mouth. +Instantly the current caught the fly and gut, and +extended it down the culvert. Almost at the +same moment the current of the main stream, +<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>across which my reel-line lay, began to drag upon +it, and completed the extension of the gut by the +time the beetle had run a short two yards down the +culvert. At once it began to drag back. This +was too much for Aunt Sally—to have that +beetle scuttling from her when it was almost in +her mouth. She came at it, and in a flash secured +it ere it could escape from the culvert; and before +she could turn she was skull-dragged out of her +fastness and turned down into the stream below. +She made a determined fight for it, but she was +very soundly hooked, and I gave no needless law, +so that her fifteen inches were soon laid out upon +the grass. Not knowing of her fame, I was quite +content with her one pound eleven ounces; but an +angler who told me of her reputation said she had +always been put down as a much bigger fish. An +hour later I looked down the culvert again, but +the water had dropped some inches, and there was +not enough current through the culvert to make +it fishable. I had hit the happy moment for the +undoing of Aunt Sally.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF ATTENTION TO CASUAL FEEDERS.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>The happening fish is a godsend to the angler +whom time or trains, failure to find the taking +fly, or other act of God or the King’s enemies, +have prevented from making his basket during the +main hatch of duns. By the “happening fish” is +to be understood, not the chance riser to a chance +<span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>cast, but the trout which, by reason of a larger +stomach capacity, misfortune of position, shortage +of fly, disinclination for the society of tailers, or +the pursuit of the succulent shrimp, or neglect +of his opportunities during the main rise, is left +hungry, or at least hungry enough not to have +left off feeding after—often long after—the main +rise has faded out; and also the trout whose +hearty appetite ranges him under the bank in +advance of the rise, in a state of impatience for his +meal, which leads him to sample such <em>hors d’œuvres</em> +as the stream may bring his way. For reasons +which shall be made apparent, both of these classes +of trout offer themselves an easier prey to the +angler than the trout who is busy with a steady +diet of hatching duns. It is doubtful whether +the advice often tendered to the over-eager, to +allow the rising trout to get well set at the wicket, +is really sound, as, by the time he is well set, his +appreciation of what is offered him has become +greatly sharpened by a prolonged experience of +it as it should be, and he is as likely as not to +refuse anything that does not appeal to him as +being identical with the natural insect he has +been absorbing so much of; and I know no +more likely fish to take, if you get your fly +to him right, than a trout which is cruising up +to his feeding-ground, picking a fly or two on +the way. Freely I confess that whole rises have +passed me too many a time without my having +<span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span>succeeded in ascertaining what the trout would +take, and on such days—and again on days +when trains have borne me to the water too late +for the morning rise—I might frequently, but for +my friend the casual feeder, have brought home +a toom creel.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The places where the casual feeder is to be found +at home are various; but, speaking generally, +the casual feeder’s position depends on the nature +of the fare which the time of day affords him, and +the odds are long that from the end of May, when +the first of the sedges (the so-called Welshman’s +Button—the “Dun Cut” of the fathers of +angling) comes upon the water, that position will +be found under the banks where sedge-flies and +other bank insects most do congregate, and from +which they venture upon the water; at bridges +where a constriction of the current concentrates +the food; at bridges where spinners are apt to +dance until their dancing minutes be done, and +sedges often shelter in brickwork; at hatches +where woodlice and other insects harbour in the +wood, and are prone to drop into the current; in +pockets in the weeds; and in ditches and carriers +where the hatch of duns is sparse and unsatisfactory, +and a trout must rely upon other resources +for his daily sustenance. This may be +floating or subaqueous, but is more likely in +carriers and swift waters to be subaqueous, inasmuch +as it is only for a brief period that a hatch +<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>takes place; but subaqueous forms of fly-life are +always about (though, no doubt, sparsely at other +times than that of the rise), and experience proves +that when no definite rise is in progress, no trout +that is on the alert finds it easy to resist a nymph +who has left his shelter. Hence, given the +willingness of the trout to feed, and the absence of +a steady diet of dominant attractiveness, there +is every inducement for him to be of an open +mind as to the provender that will seduce +him.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Then there is our friend the “tailer,” of whom +more elsewhere.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Thus, instead of spiking his rod when the morning +rise is over, and taking his Walton or his Marcus +Aurelius or his Omar Khayyám from his pocket, let +the wise angler concentrate on the casual feeder; +and if his reward be not great, there is every +chance of its being quite respectable, and he may +be saved the humiliation of an empty creel.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE FREQUENTATION OF DITCHES, DRAINS, AND CARRIERS.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>I know of no sight more gloomy than that of a +golfer painfully tramping from shot to shot. But +perhaps the next gloomiest sight is the angler who, +with perhaps but a single day at his disposal, +lounges hour by hour by the side of the main river, +waiting with such patience as he can muster for +the rise which comes not. Let us suppose that +<span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>he is either unable or too magnanimous to fish the +wet fly, that there are no fish lying, either visibly +or inferentially, in convenient places under his +own bank, so that they could be fished to with a +dry sedge or a Red Quill. Let him come with me, +and we will pull some sport out of adverse conditions. +Let us begin here, where this hatch is +letting a goodly supply of water into this carrier +for the watering of the meadows. Be it known +unto you, O angler, that the trout of ditches and +carriers are far less affected by the rise of duns, +and far readier to feed at all times or any time, +than those fish of the main river. Here our choice +is to fish either a sunk fly, suggesting a nymph +(for here an upwinged dun can hardly get through +undrowned), a floating fly resembling one of the +sedges which dodge about the camp-sheathing or +a good-sized Wickham’s Fancy. Search all the +tail of the run carefully with one or the other of +these patterns, and it shall go hard with you if you +do not get a chance, at any rate, from a passable +fish—possibly more than one.</p> + +<p class='c011'>A little lower down the carrier runs through a +culvert, and, if the hay-makers have not got him +out, one is likely to find quite a respectable trout +just below the arch, and he is to be had if you +fish him right. Farther down there is a low wood +bridge, through which the stream flows briskly, +and below this there are usually two or three +feeding fish. For some reason these are specially +<span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>sensitive to shadow. I have had many fish from +this spot from both sides, but never one from the +right, or west, side after two o’clock, or from the +other side before two. Having fished these fish, +and caught or lost or put them down, let us move +over to the next piece of water. It is slow, and +has little weed. If it had been a day with a ruffle +of wind, or had the drowners turned a good current +through, we would have fished it up yard by yard; +but to-day it is no good. But here, a bit farther on, +a brisk stream runs through a little hatch, and for a +hundred and fifty yards or so makes a most merry +little length. Keep low in the long grass, fish it +foot by foot, and, so far as you can, turn <em>down</em> all +the fish you scare. If you send one up, sit down +and wait. It will not be long ere the others recover +their equanimity. On a good day you should get +your two brace from this length, either with +No. 1 Red Sedge, No. 1 Red Quill, No. 0 Pink +Wickham or No. 0 Tup’s Indispensable wet, or +No. 0 Wickham’s Fancy. Now let us wind up +along another brisk little piece of water, perhaps +fifteen feet wide, which races in a series of runs, +and stretches right across the meadows. It is known +as the Highland Burn, and it is full of sporting +fish, and you must take the chance of hooking +a half-pounder along with your chance of a fish +nearer two pounds. And do not neglect the +ditch which runs in at right angles halfway +up. I have seen a past-master take no less +<span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>than three capital trout from those few yards +in one day, turning each as hooked down into +the Highland Burn, and killing him there.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE NEGOTIATION OF TAILERS.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>Authority hath it that “the best policy is, perhaps, +to leave tailing fish alone”; but the busy +man, who only gets an occasional day’s fishing, to +whom that advice is too trying and disappointing +(meaning me), was recommended to try an +Orange Bumble or a Furnace. With an exception +I shall presently refer to, it is some years since +I have had any experience of tailing trout, for an +alteration in a weir has made such a difference in +the pace and level of a length on the chalk stream I +most do fish, that whereas in the old days the tailer +used to be a common sight there, nowadays it is +the greatest rarity. But in those old days the +tailer was my stand-by. If—as was frequently +the case—I made naught of the morning rise, I +would betake me to this length and sit down +gaily to the siege of each tailer in succession, with +the confidence that, unless I made some mistake +and scared the fish—and tailers are not too easily +scared—sooner or later he was my fish. It was +often later, for I had to go on casting, casting, +casting, in the hope that the moment might come +when my fly would be passing over the trout at +the moment when his head was raised, and he +was taking breath before another big go at the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>shrimps and other food in the weed-beds. The +frequent casting gave much opportunity for mistakes, +and not infrequently I scared my fish, after +wasting half an hour or more over him; but, on +the other hand, I seldom failed to secure at least +one fish, and oftener a leash. The method was +simplicity itself. I sat down below my fish, and +dropped a Pink Wickham a yard or so above +where his tail dimpled the surface, and floated it +down over him quite dry. This was repeated so +long as the fish was there, but if he lifted his +head in time to see the fly come over him, there +seemed to be some mysterious attraction in that +pattern which forbade him to refuse it. Whether +this is so in other waters I know not, but I often +regret the obliteration of the old race of tailers. +They were a great stand-by, and always put up +a big battle when hooked. The size of fly was +00 for smooth water, but in a ruffle the single +cipher size proved better medicine.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The single occasion above referred to was in +May, 1909, in a different part of the river. The +water was running thinly over a broad shallow, +very full up with weed-beds, and, instead of +standing nearly perpendicularly on their heads in +order to tail, large numbers of trout and grayling +were grubbing at an acute angle with the bottom +among the weed-beds, and with violent wriggles +of head and body dislodging small insects, which +they pursued with rushes plainly marked upon the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>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, keeping +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.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE FASCINATION OF BRIDGES.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>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 +<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>separate letting occurred because the bridge became +dangerous, and would have cost too much to repair, +anyhow, when I came first to know this particular +part of the river in the early eighties, there was +nothing left of the bridge except a stump or two, +green with slime, brown with rot, showing just +above water, or intercepting weed—just that and +a band of bottom a little higher than the river-bed +above and below, as if the made bottom +which had carried the bridge still persisted. Even +the stumps are long gone the way of all stumps, +and the made bed is only just traceable if you +know where to find it. But for all that, after all +these years, this is the place in the river where +trout are to be found feeding, if they are found +feeding anywhere; and they feed in much the +same way, seeming secure, yet really shy, as the +trout feed under or just below all the bridges on +the river. All bridge trout seem to be shy. Some +bridges make shyer trout than others. I knew +one—a railway-bridge on that length—under which +in four-and-twenty years I never got a trout, or +even a rise, for all I tried persistently, wet and +dry, until 1908, and then only because on that +particular day a strong ruffle of wind blew up the +arch and made good big waves. Then I got a +brace to a floating Tup’s Indispensable, and lost +another fish. Whether it is the holt into which +to run at hint of danger, or the insects which +haunt the woodwork, or the clear space of unweeded +<span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>water in which to swim, or what not, +bridges seem to have a special fascination for +trout; and if the fly (preferably a small sedge) +can be delicately dropped over the fish as if it +fell from the woodwork, the chances of getting +him are much increased.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Trout seem specially watchful at bridges, and, +if the water be not too fast, will turn to take a fly +which is aimed to hit them on the tail.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER VIII<br> <span class='c014'>MAINLY TACTICAL</span></h2> +</div> + +<h3 class='c015'>OF THE DELIBERATE DRAG.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>Of all trials of the chalk-stream angler, perhaps +drag is the worst. Yet even drag may be made +use of on occasion, to add to the weight of the +creel. Years back, on the Erlaubnitz in South +Germany, I sat by a mill-head on a blazing +and wellnigh hopeless September afternoon. The +water was low, much of the head having been +run off by the sawmill, and such little current +as there was confined itself almost entirely to +the centre. Brown and dirty-looking weeds topped +the surface along my side of the head. Suddenly +I detected a tiny dimple in a little spot where, +among the weeds, an eighteen-inch square of clean +surface showed itself. I despatched my fly—a +Landrail and Hare’s Ear Sedge on a No. 3 hook—and +by good luck or good management it dropped +neatly on the spot. I waited. Three minutes +passed. Nothing happened. Then I thought to +recover my fly and drop it again in the hole, but +with rather less delicacy, so as to attract attention +<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>to its fall. But first I had to recover it. I +moved it gently towards the side of the hole, but +I could not prevent the effect of a drag on the +surface. Yet ere the fly had moved three inches +a good pound-and-a-half trout had it, and, after +a game of pully-hauly in the weeds, was duly +brought to net. This was a limestone stream, +and not a chalk stream.</p> + +<p class='c011'>But in August, 1908, I was on my way through +the meadows to the main Itchen, when in a much-weed-encumbered +carrier I became aware of a +good trout lying in, and near the head of, a little +pool of open water three or four yards long at +most, and perhaps a third as wide. My rod and +cast were ready, but no fly. So I knotted on a +good big sedge—I think a No. 3 Silver Sedge. +The water was glassy smooth, and the current +would not have carried my fly the length of the +open water in much under five minutes. I was +afraid to cast above the fish, or to right or left +of his head, for I knew it would send him scuttling +to weed. I wanted to drop the fly just behind +his eyes, but I misjudged, and it fell several inches +short, almost upon his tail. I waited a moment; +the trout lay still, but evidently excited. Then +I remembered my German experience, and began +to draw the fly along the surface. Immediately +the trout turned and slashed it, and was soundly +hooked. Candour compels me to admit that the +gut was also smashed by a strike of unregulated +<span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>violence; but this is entirely beside the point, +for it in no sense detracts from the value of my +illustration of the occasional serviceableness of the +calculated drag in still waters, even with the +dry fly.</p> + +<p class='c011'>My friend M. Bouglé acutely distinguishes drag +of the kind here described as the drag of <em>déplacement</em>, +as compared with the drag of <em>rétention</em>, +which occurs on moving water.</p> + +<p class='c011'>On the Pang at Bradfield resides a blacksmith +named Holloway, who is a first-rate angler, and +I have seen him practise the deliberate drag on +fast water with the May-fly in a manner which in +other hands would send every trout scuttling to +cover, but he did not put them down a bit. He +ties a May-fly—not a very pretty confection, but +admirably constructed for this purpose. The +hackle, which is white, instead of standing out +more or less at right angles to the hook-shank, is +so tied as to lie almost flat upon it, and as a result +the fly leaves practically no wake when it is drawn +over the fish, and the movement, which he practises +assiduously, far from scaring the fish, appears +to be actually attractive. Yet the Pang fish are +quite wary, and liberties may not be taken with +them with impunity. In this case once more we +have the drag of <em>déplacement</em>, but it is hard to see +why it should not be just as fatal to the angler’s +chances as the drag of <em>rétention</em>.</p> + +<div> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span> + <h3 class='c017'>IN THE GLASS EDGE.</h3> +</div> + +<p class='c016'>A more unpromising May day than that I now +tell of it would be hard to conceive. The wind—from +the west, with a bite of north in it—blew for +the most part dead across stream with strong, +shuddering gusts, so violent at times as to force +the angler, taken unawares, two or three steps +nearer to the water’s edge, and more than once +nearly to precipitate him into the water between +the sedgy tussocks which fringed one side of this +length of Upper Itchen. On the previous day +there had been a sparse skirmishing line of dark +olives on the water at 10.15, covering the main +advance at 11.30; but to-day 10.30, 11, 11.30, +noon, and the intervening quarters, chimed from +the belfry, without a fly showing on the water or +in the air. At noon the sun shone out for a few +moments, and made fitful reappearances at intervals +till 1.30. Strolling slowly and watchfully +up the bank, with an eye on the far side, the +angler came upon Keeper Humphrey in attendance +on another angler, and, on his advice, put +up a Red Quill on a No. 0 hook, for lack of one a +size larger, and, leaving the other a couple of +hundred yards below, sat down to wait for the rise. +At length a little upwinged dun was seen in sail +in the glass edge, hugging the far bank as close as +possible. For a few yards it staggered down, +battered by the gale, and then slid sideways +<span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span>among the flags under pressure of a stronger gust +than usual, and was lost to sight. Pitiably sparse +the fly were, and in half an hour not more than +half a dozen came in sight. All vanished disappointingly +among the flags. But at last the +watcher was rewarded by seeing one disappear in +the centre of a tiny widening ring, which scarcely +rippled out beyond the narrow glass edge. In a +moment distance was got by a trial cast a yard or +two downstream, and then the Red Quill dropped +perkily a foot above the spot where the dun had +disappeared, and went swiftly down on the +full current—so swiftly that the angler did not +realize until a second too late that the same neb +which had lain in wait for the dun had sucked in +the Red Quill. The strike was just too late, and +a pricked and badly scared trout dashed violently +out into the stream.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In the next little bay another rising trout was +located, but the violence of the wind made it +necessary to cast too tight a line in order to drop +the fly in the glass edge, with the result that a +drag began to develop immediately, putting the +trout down. A few yards higher a clump of trees +made a sort of buffer of air, and the conditions +were a bit easier. Yet, though the sun came out +and showed the Red Quill gliding down the glass +edge, the rise of the next trout was such a delicately +neat movement that the angler was once again +almost taken unawares. Yet this time he fastened, +<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>and his first fish of the day, after a dumbfounded +second’s pause, forged upstream with a rush, +tearing line from the protesting reel. He was not, +however, allowed to reach his holt among the +weeds, but was turned, and netted out thirty yards +or so downstream, after a strenuous resistance. +The hook was on the extreme edge of his upper lip, +but, fortunately, had taken a beautifully firm hold. +The spring-balance recorded one pound fifteen +ounces—rather a disappointment, for his hogback +and splendour of general condition suggested that +he might, though a short sixteen inches, have +topped two pounds.</p> + +<p class='c011'>A moment sufficed to knot on a fresh fly, and +the very first cast into the glass edge, to a glide +where a dimple betrayed a trout, produced another +rise; and again the offer was accepted, and an +excellent fight put up. When eventually netted +out, the fish proved to be one pound nine ounces, +and even handsomer and finer in condition +than number one. He was hooked exactly in +the same way. There was one more rise +spotted, the fish risen, touched, and seen in the +clearness of the glass edge to flash some yards +upstream under the far bank. Then the sun +went in for a spell, and all was over for the +day. The other angler had a brace—two pounds +ten ounces and one pound odd—caught in the +same way by floating the Red Quill in the glass +edge.</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>This was one of those rare days when the dry fly +can be fished into the bays under the opposite +bank.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE CROSS-COUNTRY CAST.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>If questioned on their favourite mode of approaching +a trout, it is probable that nineteen out +of every twenty chalk-stream anglers, if not a +larger proportion, would plump for the right bank +with the rod held over the water. It is doubtless +the easiest method. It has various advantages +not difficult to enumerate, but it may be gravely +doubted whether it is the most effective from the +point of view of catching trout. Later under the +caption (“The Bank of Vantage”) it is shown—with +what success the reader must judge—that +in most states of the wind the left bank has, contrary +to general opinion (other things, of course, +being equal), decided advantages over the right.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Apart from states of the wind, it must be apparent +that, where the horizontal cast is used, and +often where the cast is not strictly horizontal, the +left bank has the advantage over the right that +the rod and line are less displayed, and far less +likely to alarm a wary fish under the angler’s own +bank than a rod held more or less over the stream; +and, naturally, it is only to a fish under the +angler’s own bank that the cross-country cast is +made.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Secondly, there is the advantage that little of the +line—possibly not all of the gut, even—strikes the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span>water. It is enough if the drag and the recovery +occur far enough below the fish not to disturb +him; but if the fly be the right pattern the drag is +a matter of no consequence, as the cross-country +cast comes so lightly, so naturally, and with such +concealment of its perils from the trout, that as +frequently as not he takes the fly at the first offer.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Of course, the vegetation on the bank may be +such as to render it almost impossible to deliver +this cast without being hung up, but the angler +should not be too ready to assume that this is so. +It is wonderful how, with care, a light hand, and a +little patience, the line may be recovered, and what +risks may be taken with comparative impunity. +It is often astonishing to see how anglers who pay +largely for their fishing rights, own costly rods, +reels, and lines, and make long train journeys for +their fishing, will decline to tackle trout in difficult +positions, because it involves the possible loss of +a cast or a fly—perhaps 1s. 2½d. all told—with +the odds long in favour of the loss being no more +than a fly, and perhaps a point. I am ever for the +adventure. The certain smash does not always +come off.</p> + +<p class='c011'>But after the meadows are cut, and when the +sedges are low, it is often excellent sport to beat +slowly up on either bank, left or right, keeping in +either case well inland—especially so on the right +bank—and flicking a grass-moth or a small sedge +dry into every little eddy and bay, and on to +<span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>every likely spot under the bank, with never more +than three feet—or four feet at the outside—of gut +on the water (often not more than eighteen inches or +a foot). Of course, a rod which will cast a short +line accurately is indispensable. The fly lights like +thistledown. On such days, if you work orthodoxly +up your right bank, casting a longish line +upstream, and covering the water with it, you +shall not hook one fish for three which you shall +take with the cross-country cast. Then, to recover +it, you must either draw it slowly over the +edge where the danger lies, or you must flick the +line up so as to belly vertically away from you, +and pick the gut and fly cleanly off the water or +the herbage. And if occasionally one is hung up, +what does it matter? If it be of service, the +angler is not denied such relief as the golfer freely +avails himself of when the deadly bunker has him +for its own.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>WHAT TUSSOCKS ARE FOR.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>This is not a riddle. It is a speculation which +many anglers have probably indulged in. Some +have considered them a providential arrangement +for the protection of the business of the dealer +in flies and tackle, and verily they have their +reasons. At one time I was of that fold, but of +late years I have had glimpses of the other side +of the shield, and I am beginning to realize that +while tussocks may be put along river-sides as a +<span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>trial of the patience of some, yet for others they +are a means of providing an occasional trout, and +generally a good one, on days when disappointment +is king. They are placed, in other words, +for the trout to stand on the upstream side and +the angler on the downstream side, the latter +substantially concealed from the former. It is +equally true that the former is also concealed +from the latter; but this is of little consequence +if, as is commonly the case, the screen is not dense +enough to hide the ring from the angler when the +trout takes his fly.</p> + +<p class='c011'>But it may be said, “What is the use of the concealment +if the inevitable result of casting over the +tussock is to get hung up in it?” Well, it is not +the inevitable result. There are two ways of +tackling a tussock. One implies the use of a short +rod, or at least a rod capable of an accurate short +cast. It will not do to dib. At the first glimpse +of the rod-top over the tussock off goes your trout. +No; the fly must be cast, and cast so near the +tussock that it drifts down to the fish just above +the tussock before it is necessary to pick it up for +the next cast with a forward flick. The other +method is to cast over the river-side of the drooping +sedges of the tussock from such a distance that +only the gut and a foot or two of the casting line +go over the tussock, and to let the belly of the line +dip in the water between you and the tussock. +Then, if the fly be not taken, the angler shall see +<span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>his line coming back smoothly and at the pace of +the stream over the tussock, and finally the fly +shall be lifted off the surface with no disturbance, +and be drawn by the current softly over the +tussock, and drop on the surface on his own side, +free for the next attempt.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Obviously, this latter cast is not well suited to +the left bank unless the angler be left-handed, and, +then, it is not suited to the right bank, unless he +be ambidextrous. <em>Ergo</em>, the rod which casts a +short line with delicacy and accuracy is a desideratum +for this business, as for many others. A +heavy rod will seldom be found to do it. When +you have hooked your fish, he may be depended +on to carry your line at once free of the tussock. +I have never had an instance to the contrary, and +I have rather an affection for the tussock cast.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE ALLEGED MARCH BROWN.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>Everyone who reads much angling literature +must have come across ingenuous arguments on +the wonderful usefulness of the March Brown +even on waters, such as the chalk streams, where +the natural is not found. It is so. I have found +it so myself. One 6th of April some years back I +reached the Wey, to find that the Grannom was +well on a good week in advance of time, and that +I had one imitation, and one only, in my box. +To improve upon the humour of the situation, I +allowed—nay, I forced—the first trout to whom +<span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span>I presented it to keep it. But was I downhearted? +No! I had some small floating March +Browns, which, with the whisks pinched off, +made quite satisfactory Grannoms and saved +the situation. On other occasions I have used +Grannom and March Brown indifferently to +represent the grass-moths with which the meadows +and banks were teeming, and they each did the +job excellently and were most attractive. I have +also used the March Brown as a Brown Silver +Horns, and to simulate other sedges, and there +is no doubt that it is an excellent fly, and, as +generally tied, quite a poor imitation of the +natural March Brown, and quite a passable +imitation of almost anything else.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>GENERAL FLIES AND FANCY FLIES.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>The alleged March Brown may be called a +“general fly”—<em>i.e.</em>, it is a more or less satisfactory +imitation, not merely of one, but of many +flies. In the same way the Red Quill is a general +fly, covering not only a series of red spinners, +but also probably the whirling blue dun. Tup’s +Indispensable used as a floater is an excellent +rendering of many red spinners. The sunk +variety is an efficient rendering of many nymphs. +No. 1 Whitchurch is, I see, included by Mr. F. M. +Halford among fancy flies; but I should venture +to class it as “general,” being an effective presentment +of the yellow dun series of flies. Greenwell’s +<span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>Glory, again, is a general fly, and with +its starling-winged variants it represents a series +of olives, from the blue-winged olive to the iron +blue (male).</p> + +<p class='c011'>It is hard to say what precisely are fancy flies, +unless one defines them as flies which are not +known to represent definitely any insect or class +of insects. Whether Wickham’s Fancy to the +eye of a trout looks the gorgeous golden thing +which it does to mankind it is hard to say. I +have floated one on water over a mirror, and the +reflected image did not look golden at all, but a +pale, dim green, much like the colour seen through +gold beaten so thin that it is almost transparent. +The Pink Wickham may seem to the +trout to be a sedge with a greenish body. The Red +Tag <em>may</em> have its living prototype. The Soldier +Palmer is supposed to represent the soldier beetle. +But in most of these cases it is impossible to say +what the artificial represents, or may represent, in +life, and its attraction is apt to be that of something +bright and garish which appeals to curiosity +or tyranny in the trout, rather than to appetite. +Indeed, why a trout should take any artificial +fly is a puzzle to me. The very best are not really +very like the real thing. One thing is clear: +It is not form which appeals to the trout, but +colour and size.</p> + +<p class='c011'>I know a skilful angler who, when he ties on a +new split-winged floater, rumples and breaks up +<span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>the fibre of its wings with his fingers before using +it. This he does for the excellent reason that it +pays. His theory is that it lets the light through; +but form is entirely sacrificed.</p> + +<p class='c011'>It is a curious fact that, though the Test and +Itchen are “by ordinar’” clear, yet double-dressed +floaters can be successfully used on them, which +would do little or nothing on other streams, of +which the Wandle occurs to me as an example. +If I had a day on the Wandle, I should take care +to provide myself with single-winged patterns. +Can it be that the clearness of the Test and +Itchen is such that the fly looks distinct enough +by reflected light, while transmitted light is +necessary to render the fly noticeable on such +streams as the Wandle? In any case, when +visiting a strange river, the angler should see if the +fish will or will not stand double-dressed floaters, +if he has a fancy for that build of fly.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER IX<br> <span class='c014'>CONSIDERATIONS MORAL, TACTICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND INCIDENTAL</span></h2> +</div> + +<h3 class='c015'>OF FAITH.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>Among the many uncertainties which attend the +sport of fly fishing, there is one thing that may be +laid down as certain, and that is that no consistent +measure of success attends a lure, whether wet, +dry, or semi-submerged, in which the angler has +not faith; and it may be shrewdly suspected that +much of the ill-success which has attended the +use of the wet fly upon chalk streams in the past +is due to lack of confidence on the part of the +angler. It has been laid down so positively by +the high-priests of the dry fly that the wet fly has +no chance compared with it—at any rate, on +smooth water—and it has been so freely stated +that crack wet-fly anglers come down to the +chalk streams confident in their powers to make +an exhibition of chalk-stream fish, only to retire +defeated and converted, that it is little wonder +that the chalk-stream angler who tries the wet fly +does it half-heartedly; and it is probable that the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>North-Country man coming to practise his art +upon South-Country streams, and accustomed to +catch his trout in considerable numbers, soon becomes +disheartened by failure to do the like on +rivers where two or three brace is a good bag. +Probably he casts a much shorter line than is +advisable on chalk streams, and so scares off or +puts down his fish, and discouragement and the +sceptical attitude of his South-Country hosts and +keepers knock him off his game before he has had +time to adjust himself to the (to him) novel conditions.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Fishing a chalk stream with a wet fly is not quite +like fishing a mountain stream or North-Country +river, and it is not a game to be learnt in an hour +or a day. But if the angler will fix his mind +firmly on the fact that the wet fly was for centuries +the only method in use on chalk streams, and +that it brought excellent baskets to good anglers +in the past, he may set to work with confidence +that in the right conditions the wet fly will kill, +and kill well, at this day, and he may set himself +with equal confidence to find out for himself how +it is done. And let him not be disturbed by the +fact that there are days or hours when it has not +a chance against the dry fly; for there are days +and hours when the dry fly has not a chance +against it, and there are other occasions when the +trout will take either with approximately equal +freedom.</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span>Simultaneously with my own experiments recorded +in this volume, Mr. F. M. Halford was +engaged in establishing and proving his latest +series of patterns, in which he endeavours to +approximate more closely than ever before to the +coloration and attitude of the natural insects, +especially in his series of spinners. In an article +over the signature “Detached Badger,” which +appeared in the <cite>Field</cite> of October 22, 1904, Mr. +Halford was at some pains to prove that these +spinners must be taken floating; but the feature +of these patterns is that they do not, like the old +patterns, sit cocked upon the surface, lifted half-hackle-high +above it, but, being sparsely dressed, +lie low on the water, practically flush with the +surface, and thus achieve a closer approximation +to the spent natural insect than did the old +patterns. This, as much as the more exact coloration, +may account for the success of these +patterns. And, after all, a fly that is flush with +the water is perilously close to the edge of wet. +Tup’s Indispensable fished as a spinner in the +evening rise will often kill better semi-submerged +and flush with the surface than thoroughly +dried and oiled. It usually serves me well, and +I have accordingly scarcely tried Mr. F. M. Halford’s +new patterns, but when I have done so it +has been wet that they have been taken, and +not dry.</p> + +<p class='c011'>I mentioned a few pages back that another +<span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>Itchen angler once fished the whole of a season—it +may have been two—with the Red Quill in various +shades and sizes, and with differences introduced +by the presence or omission of tinsel tags, and +he achieved a success with that one pattern or +type quite as great as he enjoyed when he allowed +himself the full range of the hundred best and +some others.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Clearly, he and “Detached Badger” have had +faith—the faith which, if it does not move mountains, +will at least move trout. And the angler +who takes his courage in both hands and experiments +boldly with the wet fly fished upstream +to his trout, or into the place where his trout +should be, will find his faith, as mine has been, +not without its reward.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE BANK OF VANTAGE.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>In looking back on a day’s fly fishing, one can +realize how much has depended upon the correct +selection of the bank to fish from, and an examination +of some of the more important of the general +considerations governing choice may not be amiss. +Special conditions, such as height of banks, the +trees and bushes thereon, and the accessibility of +the water therefrom, may force upon us deviations +from what our judgment would otherwise dictate, +and it is impossible to dogmatize about these. +There are also cases where the winding character +of the stream presents such a constant variety of +<span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>conditions that it is impossible to say that at the +moment of selection one bank is more worthy of +choice than the other. But, subject to such special +conditions, there are a few general principles which +it is well to bear in mind in considering from which +side we shall direct our attack.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The first of these is to avoid such a position as +will throw the shadow of angler or rod over the +fish. This is an obvious consideration, and one +that is easy of application. But it does not necessarily +follow that, because the sun will throw one’s +shadow—even a long or formidable shadow—on to +the stream from, say, the right bank, one must +necessarily adopt the other. It may be that the +shadow will be straight across or even behind the +angler, or, at any rate, in such a position as, for +instance, not to interfere with his casting upstream, +or upstream and across, and the river +bottom may not be so bare that the fall of his +shadow will send the trout scurrying upstream to +disturb and put down the feeding fish above. In +narrow streams, however, the effect of shadow in +bolting fish upstream is necessarily far more pronounced +than in streams of moderate width—say +twelve to twenty yards. In like manner, the narrow +stream should not, if possible, even with a favouring +upstream breeze, be fished from the right bank, +which necessitates holding the rod and waving +line and fly over the water, or one may see one’s +hopes laid low for half an hour or more, and a good +<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>stretch spoiled by the bolting of fish which, approached +from the other bank by a more or less +“cross-country cast,” with the rod held low to +the right, might have been brought to basket or +turned downstream.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Probably, however, the most generally governing +consideration is the direction of the wind in relation +to the general trend of the stream. Perhaps +the majority of fly-fishermen, if asked to choose +a bank with an upstream or downstream wind, +would choose the right without hesitation. But +there may be a good deal to be said for the other +side, apart even from the sun and the narrowness +of the stream. For instance, with an upstream +wind and a fairly wide river, especially if it be +swift, the angler on the right bank is practically +confined to his own bank and midstream fishing. +If he casts for the opposite bank, he finds it extremely +difficult to be accurate, and a drag which +inevitably puts the fish down is almost certain to +be set up. On the left bank, however, not only +can he approach the left bankers more closely than +he dare approach the right bankers when fishing +on the right bank, not only can he tackle the midstream +fish equally well, but he can cut under and +against the wind and get across to the opposite +bank far more accurately from the left bank +than from the right, where the wind follows his +hand.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Take next the case of a downstream wind. Here +<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>the angler will want to consider what he has to do. +Does he wish to fish his own bank or the opposite +bank, or both? Casting from the right bank, he +can cut under the wind and get his fly over to the +opposite bank far better than he could from the +left; but is it worth doing? If he can float his +fly for a reasonable distance without drag, it may +well be; but if the current be so strong as to set +up an almost immediate drag, he may be practically +confined to his own bank. So he would be +on the left side; but whereas casting from the right +bank he would be apt to find the point of his gut +cast forced outwards and downwards by the wind, +and be constantly landing his line on the sedges or +bank, when casting from the other side his line +would fall upon the water, and the gut-point and +fly be driven inwards so as to search the water +quite close under the bank, just like a natural fly. +Moreover, it would not be driven so far inward as +it would be driven outward when cast from the +opposite side, for in dropping over the bank-edge +the fly and gut-point would enter, before the force +of the cast is spent, into that little cushion of +calm to be found just under the bank, and would +generally straighten out in a manner to command +admiration both from men and trout.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Take next the case of an upstream wind slightly +across from the right bank to the left. Here it is +even more difficult for an angler on the right bank +to fish his own bank than for an angler on the left +<span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>bank, while he has more command in cutting +across to the far side from the left bank than +from the right. If, on the other hand, the wind +be upstream and off the left bank, by standing +back a bit and using a short cross-country cast +the angler may get his fly very neatly over most +of the fish under his own bank, and can cut +across more easily than he could from the right +bank.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Take, again, the case of a wind downstream and +across from the right bank to the left. Here again +the angler on the left bank is in the superior +position for negotiating his own bank, casting +almost straight into the wind, and letting fly and +point be deflected under his own bank. On the +right bank the angler would be apt to have his fly +flung out towards midstream, and the short cross-country +cast would be apt to miscarry. On the +other hand, if the wind be downstream and across +from the left bank, the advantage lies slightly with +the right bank, but it is nothing like so marked +(assuming, as we have been doing from the first, +that the angler is right-handed) as in the converse +case.</p> + +<p class='c011'>On the whole, therefore, it will be seen that, +contrary to the generally received opinion, unless +the wind be fairly direct upstream or (for fishing +the opposite bank) down, the left bank is almost +invariably the bank of vantage.</p> + +<div> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span> + <h3 class='c017'>OF COURAGE AND THE JEOPARDIZING OF TUPPENCE HA’PENNY.</h3> +</div> + +<p class='c016'>That, my friends, is almost the extreme price of +a trout-fly. Some cost less. Yet how often shall +you see an angler whose equipment for the taking +of trout has run into pounds, and whose railway +fare and reckoning at his inn are substantial +items of expenditure upon the same object, throw +away most sporting occasions for the attainment +of his end because, forsooth, he is sure to be hung +up or weeded or smashed or something equally +delightful—and bang would go tuppence ha’penny! +I have no patience with this sort of thing. The +more hopeless the prospect of getting out a trout +from an impossible place, the more determined +I am to try for him. <em>De l’audace, encore de l’audace—toujours +de l’audace!</em> In May, 1909, just before +the May-fly began, I was by the river-side, when I +heard a loud smacking sound, and, peering through +a willow-bush, I saw a fine trout cruising on an +eddy and sucking down flies with hearty enjoyment. +If I cast over him from behind the bush, I should +have to play him on a six-ounce rod with x x x +gut between a thorn-bush which I could touch with +my right hand and a willow I could touch with +my left. There were snags above and snags +below. Did I hesitate? Only long enough to +tie on a new Crosbie Alder, then long enough for +him to reach the top of his beat, and then I +<span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>dropped the fly behind him just before he turned. +He was the satisfactory side of four pounds, and I +got his successor next day out of the same place—three +pounds six ounces. A beautiful brace! +Luck! Of course it was luck, but I shouldn’t +have had it if I hadn’t taken risks.</p> + +<p class='c011'>There was a Kennet trout under a willow in +May-fly time. A weed-piled snag in the stream just +below the droop of the willow made it impossible +to get a fly over him by casting above the willow +and floating down. There was just one possible +way—to make a slanting downward cut which +might bring the fly down between branches +in a sort of dip in the tree, and drop it on the +fish’s nose. I left two flies in the tree, but I +did the trick and got the fish. He was only two +pounds six ounces, but I thought he was bigger. +Still——</p> + +<p class='c011'>Then there was a fish which lay just above a +hatch-hole through which water ran into the +meadows. The inevitable thing for him to do +when hooked was to bolt down the hatch-hole. +But somehow he didn’t, and I got him. There +was a pound-and-a-half trout taking tiny pale +duns on the edge of a small pile of weeds collected +against a broken bough of a tree, into which he +was sure to bolt when hooked. But somehow +he didn’t, and he was steered to the landing-net +with a No. 000 dun on gossamer gut attached to +his nose. Then there was that trout which I got +<span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>over a barbed wire crossing the stream eight or +ten yards away.</p> + +<p class='c011'>There are countless such instances—I tell of +some more under the head of “Impossible Places”—but +there is one thing that may safely be deposed +to, and that is, that there is no place so desperate +that, with luck and management, you may not get +a well-hooked trout out of it.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF IMPOSSIBLE PLACES.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>The habit of a lightly hooked trout, of floundering +on the surface, is too well known to need enlarging +on. Sometimes his antics will be varied by leaps +into the air. But is the tendency of a hard-held +fish to go to weed or snag equally well realized? +Yet from a consideration of these two established +tendencies may not a highly unorthodox method +of extricating a good fish from the impossible +position be evolved? What is the theory? +This: Let him think he is lightly hooked.</p> + +<p class='c011'>It was on the banks of the Itchen that the +first glimmerings of the idea suggested themselves. +A novice with the dry fly was walking disconsolate +up the stream, bemoaning himself that he +could not find a rising fish. Coming up with a +brother angler just about to settle down to a +rising trout in some quick water, he was invited +to cast over it. The fly covered the right spot, +and brought up his troutship, who fastened, and, +turning at once, bolted at express speed downstream. +<span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>The novice, unaccustomed to anything +more formidable than Devonshire brook trout, +disregarded his companion’s advice, “Run, man, +run downstream for all you’re worth!” and backed, +open-mouthed, slowly upstream, letting out line +as freely as the reel (a checkless one) would let it +go. So long as the line put no check upon him +the trout ploughed downstream close to the +surface, but the moment the reel was empty and +he felt the check he was deep in a weed-bed. He +stayed there till the angler had reeled up and put +on another fly. <em>The checked fish goes to weed.</em> +That was the first lesson.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The second was in this wise: On a September +morning a good many years back, a brace of +trout were rising, a yard or so apart, above +a tree which overhung the same water on the +side where the angler stood knee-deep in a +swampy reed-bed. It was possible to reach +them if, holding by his left hand to a bough, +and resting one foot on a root while dangling the +other in the water, he hung over the river at an +angle of forty-five degrees, and threw his line underhand +up the stream. But how if he hooked his +fish? There was a bank of weeds, dense and +long, a yard or two above. Well, he must chance +it. The likelihood of losing the fish seemed overwhelming, +the chance of killing him slight; for +the position was so awkward that, in order to get +back to terra firma, there was nothing for it but +<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>to tuck the rod under the arm and trust to chance +while recovering equilibrium and a footing. Yet +the angler got both these fish. Situated as he +was he could put no pressure on them; he could +not even keep the line taut. But each of the +fish when hooked came floundering and splattering +unresistingly downstream, trying to throw out +the stinging insect that adhered to his jaw. By +the time the angler was prepared to deal with him +the fish was in open water and was easily played. +Result, a brace of one and a quarter pounders and +the second lesson. <em>The unchecked fish flounders +on the surface.</em></p> + +<p class='c011'>What these two lessons have been worth to the +angler it would be tedious to relate, but one or two +instances may illustrate. There was that fish—one +and three-quarter pounds he proved—rising on the +far side of a dense bank of weeds in a channel +two feet wide. He had to be approached with +reverence on one’s face, and from twenty feet out in +the meadow. He took the Pink Wickham at the +first time of asking, and the angler, having fastened, +dropped his rod-point instantly. The fish with a +startled plunge rushed up the channel and out +into the open water, and began to flounder. +Before he knew where he was the angler turned +him, brought him down the right side of the +dangerous weed-bank, and duly netted him out.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Then, again, there was that black fish between +two pollard willows on the Darenth. He was rising +<span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span>eighteen inches out from the bank. The willows +were two yards apart, and their roots formed a +mass of snags below him, while just downstream of +them was a plank bridge a foot above the river. +Here again it was a case of kneeling far out in +the meadow and dropping the Yellow Dun exactly +over the nose of the fish. He came with the most +confiding simplicity. Had he been checked he +would have been in the snags before one could say +“Knife,” but the angler, mindful of his lesson, held +him not. So it befell that he rushed out into midstream +and leapt four several times, much as does +a pricked fish that is not hooked at all. But ere +he could do more the angler was on terms with him, +and held him out from the bank, up from the +bottom, and away from the plank bridge, till the +landing-net received his one pound six ounces.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Finally, let the tale be told of a trout of the +Kennet that had his holt in a corner of a little +bay, whence a willow-bush had fallen into the +river, leaving on the bank side a tangle of broken +roots, in the river to the right, some three yards +off, the half-submerged willow, while above and +below were heavy patches of long swaying weed. +It was an ideal place for a trout to feed in—and +to break away. The water came into the bay in +a little defined channel between weeds, and in this +a foot below the entry a sizable neb was showing +at intervals. A small Green Champion May +dropped exactly in the channel, and trotted down +<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>the prescribed distance and disappeared. Again +the tactics of the loosened line, again the hooked +fish rushed out from his almost impregnable holt +into the open, and was presently netted out by +the triumphant angler—a handsome and, he +thinks, a not ill-deserved three pounds ten ounces. +A week later the same tactics produced another fish +of two pounds eleven ounces from the same hole.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE USE OF THE LANDING-NET.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>There is a common superstition among anglers +that the primary use of a landing-net is to land +fish. Let us rather say that the use of a landing-net, +rightly understood, is to assist in the capture +of fish. Not to catch fish, for the catching of fish +in the landing-net is mere poacher’s work, but to +aid in the catching. Some anglers tell you you +must never show your net to a fish until ready +for netting. But why not, if it will help you to +kill him? There are many more or less desperate +cases where the net may be of the profoundest +service long before it is called to operate at the +final ceremony of dipping out. I will give one or +two examples in an ascending scale of complexity.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Firstly, a new use for the handle. Under the +left bank of a South-Country chalk stream a trout +is taking every dun that goes down alongside the +cluster of cut weed under which he shelters. +The angler’s Gold-ribbed Hare’s Ear lighting delicately +a foot above, with the gut resting on the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>weed, is accepted and carried straight down into +the weed-bed below. The angler reels up tight +over the fish, but fails to move him. Ah, there +is the long-handled landing-net! A few judiciously-placed +prods with the butt bring him plunging +stupidly out, and he is bustled down into open +water and promptly dipped out with the other +end.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Secondly, the use of the mesh. Scene: A hooked +fish racing downstream towards a dense weed-bed +on the angler’s side. The angler offers the net, +and the fish sheers off into midstream, and is +towed past the dangerous obstruction. Very +simple examples these.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The third and next is more complex. Scene: A +hatch-hole which lets water from the same stream +into a carrier in the water-meadows. Camp-sheathing +on both sides of the hatch, supported +by three successive crossbars from four feet to +eight feet long as the sides diverge. Under the +middle bar lies a good trout, very evidently feeding. +Problem, how to get him. It is impossible to cast +underneath the crossbars. One can only cast over +them, and trust to luck and judgment to get the +fish out if one hooks him. If he runs downstream +the line is doubled over the crossbar and a break +is assured. But how is he to be prevented? The +angler knows that under the apron of the hatch +there is a big hole, and he sets to work with +confidence. The fly is dropped from below, just +<span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>over the third or shortest bar. The drag of the +oiled silk line brings it back till it passes over the +third bar, and drops softly on the water with a +foot or two to float before it can drag. Presently +it is taken, and the hooked fish has turned to bolt +down the carrier. But there the angler is ready. +Landing-net in hand, he gesticulates wildly at the +advancing fish, which bolts upstream again and +buries itself in the hole under the apron. Softly +the rod is passed under the second and lowest +crossbars, then the point is brought down to the +water’s edge, and with a steady strain and a +jarring tap on the butt of the rod the trout is +brought down out of his fastness and killed in +due course.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Lastly, another example of a similar method. +Imagine a strong stream some three yards wide and +one hundred yards or so long, running down from a +similar hatch to a big cross-dyke reaching out on +both sides. The angler is on the right bank, and +the current turns to the left on reaching the dyke. +The water for the latter half of the carrier is too +deep for wading. In the broad gravel shallow +at the tail of the patch a big two-pounder is lying. +The angler has already been run by a much +smaller fish down to the verge of the carrier, where +the stream turns off, and only netted his trout just +in time. For various reasons the other bank is +unsuitable to fish from. To begin with, the big +trout is not accessible from that side. Even from +<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>the left bank it is difficult to cast over him, but +presently our artist with the landing-net gives +the appropriate response to the dimpling rise +with which he takes the Ginger Quill, and a good +sound working connection is established. For a +moment the angler does not put a pull on him, +and he moves out into the strong water, shaking +his head to get rid of that objectionable insect +that has fastened in his palate. The angler +rapidly winds in line, and begins to hold him +firmly. His aim is to keep him tiring himself +in the strong water—not to drive him up under +the apron (it is unnecessary to run that risk now), +but to keep him from running down. The stream +is narrow enough to enable the angler, by dipping +his rod-point to right or left, to turn the fish from +every upward rush to such a holt, but in a few +moments comes the downward rush. Now for the +landing-net. In an instant the fish has turned +and is back facing the strong water, and engaged +in fighting to get up into the shelter of the hatch. +But again and again he is turned and brought +down to the edge of the gravel shelf where the +stream is strongest, when a hint from the landing-net +sends him up again straining with all his force +against both stream and line. Presently, tiring +of the game, and failing in his efforts to rub out +the hook against the camp-sheathing, he turns +and bolts downstream with such suddenness as to +evade the threatening net, and is gone forty yards +<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>before the angler is level with him. Then again +a threat of the net turns him, and he makes a +dash for a weed-bed some ten yards or so above. +From this he has to be turned down, and his +downward rush stopped with the net as before. +From this point the fight resolves itself into a series +of downstream rushes, alternating with much +briefer trips upstream, terminated by the necessity +in each case for pulling the trout down out of the +weed-bed he is bolting for. At last, at the very +bottom of the straight, on the edge of the dyke, +the fish, not yet half beaten, has to be dragged +willy-nilly into the landing-net, or else he must +escape down the dyke which streams away on the +far side.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Finally, and in conclusion, one more example. +The <em>locus in quo</em> is a piece of fast water some eight +or ten yards long, a sort of tumbling-bay, from +which the water escapes at racing pace through a +culvert twelve or fourteen feet long, which passes +under a farm road, thence along some two hundred +yards of narrow weedy carrier to an irrigation hatch. +In the tumbling-bay are three or four fine fish, one +of them something over two pounds. All are feeding +on something under water, probably nymphs. A +dry fly would drag at once. A double-hooked +Greenwell’s Glory, as used on North-Country rivers, +might do the trick. But the hooked fish will to a +certainty bolt down the culvert, and then it will be +a case of smash at once, or weeding with a long +<span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>line, and the impossible task of bringing the fish up +the racing stream into the tumbling-bay again, or +of passing the ten-foot rod through a twelve-foot +culvert. Happy thought! there on the bank is a +plank that has been floated down the stream above, +there is some string, and there is the watcher to lend +a hand. He receives the landing-net, and goes +below some fifteen yards or so. Presently the fly +drops well soaked on the water, and swings over +the best of the trout, which the next minute has +raced down and through the culvert, tearing out +line until—yes, until the menacing net in the +hands of the watcher sends him securely to weed. +Now for the plank. A minute serves to tie on +the rod and to send the plank floating down +through the culvert. The watcher is ready on the +other side with the landing-net, and draws the +plank to the side. The rod is released, and soon +the angler stands over the fish with a short line. +Now for the net again. A few well-directed prods +with the butt brings up the fish, who bolts for the +culvert. But the net is before him on the far side, +and he gets back into the tumbling-bay. Guiding +the line with the butt, a pull is got on him which +soon brings him down again below the culvert. +The only remaining dangers are the weeds and +the hatch-hole at the far end. From this last the +net is again ready to keep him, and the great battle +ends as every such battle should.</p> + +<div> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span> + <h3 class='c017'>OF THE WEEDING TROUT.</h3> +</div> + +<p class='c016'>It has been shown how it was frequently +possible to extract a big trout from an apparently +impossible fastness by a tactical trick. Every +angler knows that a trout who is, or conceives +himself to be, lightly hooked will thrash about +upon the surface in his effort to dislodge the fly, +very often with success, though not always; for +occasionally the hook will have a small but sufficient +hold in some inaccessible place, such as the +corner of the jaw, and all is well with the angler. It +is by playing upon this idiosyncrasy and slackening +on a fish immediately after it is hooked that the +trout may frequently be induced to run from an +impenetrable holt into the open in order to kick +himself free from the surface. The same idiosyncrasy +may be worked upon with a weeding fish, +with gratifying results. If the angler hooks a fish +which turns and bolts downstream below him, he +will note that the fish will not go to weed until +he is held. The moment he is held he will whip +into the first available weed-bed. That is the +first step in our argument. The next is this: The +harder he is held the more frightened he becomes, +and the deeper and the more desperately he will +burrow in the weeds.</p> + +<p class='c011'>But one day it occurred to me to try upon the +trout that has got to weed the tactics of inducing +him to believe himself lightly hooked. To let him +<span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>go altogether for a time till he recovered his nerve +and came out was an old and often unsuccessful +device. To hand-line him was to put a much +harder pull upon him than could be put on with +a rod, and though it sometimes worked, it was by +no means always successful. For the new method, +therefore, it was necessary to maintain a light +pull upon the fish, but so light that the rod-top +gave to every movement, leaving the fish almost +as free as if he were loose, but with just the +difference that there was enough strain to keep +him beating, and enough to provide a fulcrum for +him to beat from. The experiment was brilliantly +successful. On the first occasion on which it +was tried, three trout (all over two pounds) were +hooked in a weedy portion of the Itchen upon the +lightest tackle and a delicate rod. Each went to +weed. The angler held his hand high (for the +rod was but nine feet), and kept the very lightest +strain, with the result that the fish began to beat +among the weeds as he would on the surface, and +in a few moments had lashed the weeds aside and +kicked himself free of them, and was on top. +Once there he was resolutely hauled downstream +and bustled into the net. This method has been +worth many a good fish since that day; indeed, +given a fairly soundly hooked fish, there have +been no failures. Of course, nothing will save +a fish so lightly hooked that the first touch of weed +or obstruction releases him. In applying this +<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>method, the light rod, which has come to be so +common, has an advantage over the big, heavy, +and clumsy weapon so frequently in the hands of +dry-fly men in the recent past. This is indeed a +notable instance of the superiority of the <em>suaviter +in modo</em> over the <em>fortiter in re</em>.</p> + +<h3 class='c017'>OF THE LIGHT ROD ON CHALK STREAMS.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>In the catalog (I quote the word in the American +spelling) of the house of William Mills and Son +of New York there is a portrait of Mr. Humphrey +Priddis (whose signature “Dabchick” at the foot +of Itchen reports is familiar to all readers of the +<cite>Field</cite>) holding up a two and one-eighth pound +trout which he had just killed on a two and +one-eighth ounce Leonard rod, the property of +young Mr. Mills, a son of that house. I was +down on the Itchen the afternoon on which that +feat was done. I saw the rod, the fish, and the +captor, and the place was pointed out to me. +The water was full of dense masses of waving +weeds, and in accomplishing the capture of such +a fish—a large one for the water—on such a rod +there is no doubt that the angler executed a feat +of which he had every right to be proud. He +declared himself amazed at the power of the rod, +and that he could throw three-and-twenty yards +with it.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Young Mr. Mills was fishing with a nine-foot rod +weighing five ounces, a delightful tool capable of +<span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>casting a heavy tapered Halford line with wonderful +command. I had the privilege of trying it, +and I promptly acquired its duplicate, in addition +to the ten-footer of the same make which I +already possessed and had used the previous +season.</p> + +<p class='c011'>I am not going to reargue here the long controversy +of light rod <em>versus</em> the old-style ounce-to-the-foot +weapon. The light rod has won its place, +and has come to stay. Those who have tried it +fairly are convinced that it will answer all necessary +calls for casting, that it is fully equal to +butting and killing large trout, and that it adds +a daintiness to the art of fly fishing which the old-time +anglers of the heavy rod were hardly conscious +it lacked. But I do want to press three +points in its favour beyond those enumerated: +(1) It casts a delightful <em>short</em> line, and I confess +to fishing consistently with the shortest line I +dare use, often with most of that in the country; +(2) it can be fished steadily all day, wet or dry, +without tiring the hand—what a change from +those terrible wrist-breaking, hand-paralyzing, +blister-producing flails of the eighties and nineties! +and (3) it enables one to play light with unequalled +sensitiveness. When I was a boy at Winchester, +old John Hammond had the length commonly +known nowadays as Chalkley’s, and I well remember +the rods which old John used to turn out for +fishing the Itchen. They were soft and floppy +<span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>to an extent which would nowadays lead to their +immediate rejection; but I have seen the maker +with one of them steer a good fish, hooked under +the opposite bank, by sheer handling, over dense +weed, into the waiting landing-net. And remembering +this, and remembering how a fish which +goes to weed can, if lightly handled from the first, +be forced, by play on his idiosyncrasy, to beat +himself free and up to the surface, I am inclined +to think that the modern angler is far too much +inclined to use force in handling a hooked fish, +and that a rod which achieves—as the light split +canes of the highest class do—a combination of +steely quickness and casting power with something +of the sensitive delicacy of the wood rods of +old John Hammond is the equipment to have in a +tussle with a big fish on fine tackle.</p> + +<p class='c011'>To kill a brace of trout one of over four pounds +and the other three pounds six ounces on x x x gut +in deep weedy and snag-infested water between two +bushes which I could touch with either hand, and +which prevented movement up or down stream, is a +feat which I am sure my old-time heavy rods could +have done no better than did my six-ounce ten-footer +in 1909. Force was no good in such a +place, and force was never used until each trout +had been sufficiently bewildered and fatigued by +beating in vain against the nothing which restrained +him to be kept more or less under the +rod’s point till ready for the net.</p> + +<div> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span> + <h3 class='c017'>OF WET-FLY CASTING.</h3> +</div> + +<p class='c016'>The use of rods which carry a heavy reel-line +is so general on chalk streams that probably the +easy drying of the fly and cast is taken as a +matter of course, and it is little recognized how +much is due to the weight of the line driving the +fly rapidly through the air. If the angler were +devoting himself to wet-fly fishing on a rough +river, he would avoid such a casting line, and if +he means to fish a chalk stream wet-fly only, he +would do the same. But he would need to be +able to propel his fly and line upstream against +the wind, and to cast a fairly long line not infrequently, +so that a line with more weight in it +than would be required for a rough river would be +essential on a chalk stream. But if, as is the +wiser course, the angler proposes to fish either wet +or dry, as occasion demands, his equipment must +be still more of a compromise. He must use a +rod which will carry a line that will dry the fly +with sufficient speed, but preferably not a line +of the heaviest class; and he must trust to the +make of his flies, and to the soaking they get +through trailing in the water before the cast, to get +them to go under on lighting. The knack can +be acquired without difficulty, but if the dry-fly +habit has become inveterate he will need to be +continually watching himself when he desires to +fish wet.</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>The line should be flicked as little as possible, +and the angler should try (generally speaking, but +not always—see chapter on Nerves) to float the +gut while letting the fly go under. Then he +secures the double advantage of not lining his +trout and of getting an indication from the movement +of the gut should the fly be taken without +his otherwise detecting it. The fly, being once +delivered, may be allowed to come down with the +stream precisely like a dry fly except for its being +under water; but it can be recovered sooner and +with less disturbance of the surface, because the +fly is drawn under and not along the top of the +water. The withdrawal should, however, be as +gentle as possible, in order to retain as much +moisture as can be in the fly to sink it at the next +cast. If there be enough wind to raise waves, or +even a strong ruffle, this is of less consequence, as +the make of the fly should be such that it can +only float, if at all, while quite dry on perfectly +smooth water. It is in general no use to put up +the ordinary dry flies to fish wet.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER X<br> <span class='c014'>FRANKLY IRRELEVANT</span></h2> +</div> + +<h3 class='c015'>A DRY-FLY MEMORY.</h3> + +<p class='c016'>In the Test Valley a good many years ago the coarse +herbage lay drying in the water-meadows in the +heavy swathes in which it had fallen to the scythe, +but all along the boggy edges of the streams and +carriers a tall screen had been left standing shoulder-high, +concealing the angler from the rising fish, but +compelling him, unfortunately, to stand and to fish +overhand instead of keeping low and switching a +horizontal line to his quarry. During the afternoon +a chilly wind from the north-west had +supervened upon the blazing heat that for a +week past had conjured such alluring visions of +the evening rise to end each July day. The sky +was overcast, and a troubled sun watched sulkily +from the far side of the valley, through dun rifts in +the clouds, the approach of two rods to the river-side. +It was almost too early to begin. Scarce +a fly was in the air, and only one sign of any promise +gave any hint of possible success—the horses +in the meadow opposite, driven to madness by the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>Hampshire flies, were charging and careering wildly +about their pasture, heels half the time in air.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Just a cast above the bottom boundary was a +run which promised a moving fish when the trout +began to move, and half an hour’s wait in these +exquisite meadows was time well spent, if only +in observing the splendid profusion of life in this +wonderful valley. The tender bloom of the +meadowsweet was at its most perfect, great +wild purple orchids put up among the boggy +tussocks, while the lush richness of the water-side +herbage baffled description. From some meadow +near came the “crek, crek” of the landrail—less +common, alas! than of old—the note of the +snipe, the wailing cry of the pewit, the “coo” of +the turtle-dove, were punctuated with the querulous +gutturals of the moorhen, shyly under cover +in the sedges. Presently a small pale olive rose +from the surface and came drifting down the +wind, then another and another, escaping their +water-enemies below only, too often, to be snapped +up by the screeching swifts that found them out too +soon. Then, in the very neck of the run, a fish put +up, and the serious business of the evening began.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The fly on the cast was a Tup’s Indispensable, +then the latest invention of an ingenious West-Country +angler, and, when the red spinner is up, a +very killing fly, but the fish, continuing to feed, +would none of him. Nor was the Red Quill to his +liking, but the first cast of a Ginger Quill on No. 00, +<span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span>covering him correctly, brought him up, and he +fastened. For a second he hesitated, then ripped +the line from the shrieking reel in an upward +rush, leapt into the air, and was off.</p> + +<p class='c011'>By this time the sun’s lower limb was resting +on the opposite hill, and the wind should have +dropped dead. But still it came with a certain +bite of chill down the valley from the northward. +Yet, in spite of cold, the long, fleshy forest fly vied +with the mosquito in assaults upon the unprotected +portions of the angler, and moths and sedges +began to creep out and flit from flower to flower. +Two other fish putting up in the next hundred +yards were missed, and a small one was landed +and returned. Then, as dusk drew on, the fly was +changed for a large Orange Quill on a No. 2 hook.</p> + +<p class='c011'>A good fish was rising steadily, though not +rapidly, in the next bend, but the Orange Quill, +offered from perhaps too short a range, set him +down with great suddenness. A shy fish! So +was the next found rising, for he did not wait +even the preliminary wave of the rod to cease +from his impetuous and greedy feeding. Perhaps +the necessary wading through the boggy margin +to get near enough to the water for an effective +cast sent over him a wave that put him down.</p> + +<p class='c011'>The next hundred yards provided no opportunity +for the angler, but at the end of them the +sedgy screen ceased suddenly, and it was possible +to approach the shy quarry with a horizontal +<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>cast. Over a bank of weed trailing near the surface +an under-water movement seemed to indicate +a fish of some sort. The fly, an Orange Sedge on +a No. 2 hook, dropped lightly on the right spot, +with a line behind it slack enough to let it pass +well over the fish before the inevitable drag set +in. Up came a big black neb. Instinctively the +line tightened, but the fish was already hard in +the weed, and nothing could coax or force him +out. Ten precious minutes wasted, at a time +when minutes were priceless, in vain attempts to +persuade him, before the inevitable break was +effected and a new fly tied on.</p> + +<p class='c011'>A few yards farther on a snag divided the +current, and a foot above it a good fish was taking +merrily every fly that covered him. He was not +proof against the Orange Sedge, and in a moment +he was being led flapping down on the farther +side of the snag. Nothing seemed to intervene +between him and the landing-net, when suddenly +the rod straightened and he was gone. A feel +at the hook in the growing dark proved it to have +broken at the bend. With difficulty another was +mounted, but by this the rise had ceased, and +naught was left for the angler but to feel his +boggy way back through the eerie meadows to +his starting-point, and thence to the village—disappointed +to a certain extent, but with the +disappointment more than tempered by the +amazing charm of this valley of valleys.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER XI<br> <span class='c014'>ETHICS OF THE WET FLY</span></h2> +</div> + +<p class='c010'>In dealing with this subject, I am conscious that +I start with a weight of opinion against me +among the fishermen of chalk streams. I have +known some of them say in a shocked tone, “But +that is wet-fly!” as if it were some high crime and +misdemeanour to use a wet fly upon a chalk +stream. To make my peace with such I want to +argue this question out, and test and see what it is +about the wet fly which has brought such discredit +upon it among the best sportsmen in the world.</p> + +<p class='c011'>It is axiomatic with many that it is unsuccessful +upon chalk streams. That is not my opinion, +but in itself it is not an objection. If it were +unfairly successful it would be another story. +The object of fly fishing, whether wet or dry, is +the catching of trout, not anyhow, but by means +refined, clean, delicate, artistic, and sportsmanlike +in the sense that they are fair to the quarry and +fair to the brother angler. There can be no doubt +that the dry fly honestly fulfils all these conditions. +Let us see where the wet fly fails.</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>It is said the wet-fly man’s game is a duffer’s +game, which needs neither knowledge nor any +skill beyond enough to cast a long line downstream +or across and down; that it leads to a +raking of the water, often with two or three flies; +that it leads to the pricking and scaring of many +fish, to the catching of many undersized trout, +and to the undue disturbance of long stretches of +water, to the detriment of the nerves of the fish +and the sport of other anglers. All this I am +quite willing to accept and to eliminate from the +legitimate all wet-fly fishing which could come +under this description.</p> + +<p class='c011'>What is left to the wet-fly angler? I venture +to say a mighty pretty, delicate, and delightful +art which resembles dry-fly fishing in that the +fly is cast upstream or across, to individual fish, +or to places where it is reasonable to expect that +a fish of suitable proportions may be found, and +differs from dry-fly fishing only in the amount of +material used in the dressing of the fly, in the +force with which that fly is cast, and in the extreme +subtlety of the indications frequently attending +the taking of the fly by the fish, compared to which +there is a painful obviousness in the taking of the +dry fly. Add to this that it provides means for +the circumventing of bulgers and feeders on larvæ, +that it furnishes sport on those numerous occasions +when trout are in position and probably feeding +under water without ever breaking the surface, +<span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>and generally widens the opportunities of sport +for the man who cannot be always on the spot to +seize the best opportunities afforded by a rise of +trout to the floating fly.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Is this method open to any of the objections +attending the downstream raking we concur in +condemning? Is it a duffer’s game? Is it +easier than dry-fly fishing? Try and see. Does +it lead to the pricking and scaring of many fish +which follow a dragging fly? No. Does it unduly +disturb long stretches of water to the detriment +of the brother angler? Why, it is as easy +to spend an afternoon on a hundred yards as it +is in the purest cult of the dry fly.</p> + +<p class='c011'>If the trout are feeding, I for one fail to see why +they may legitimately be fished for if they are +taking a small proportion of their food on the +surface, but not if they are taking all, or practically +all, of it underneath. There is a sentence from +Francis Francis quoted with approval by Mr. +F. M. Halford, which runs as follows:</p> + +<p class='c011'>“The judicious and perfect application of dry, +wet, and mid-water fly fishing stamps the finished +fly-fisher with the hall-mark of efficiency.”</p> + +<p class='c011'>Nothing could be more just if one reads it with +reference to all streams, whether chalk streams or +otherwise; but to read it distributively so that only +the dry fly may be used on chalk streams, and only +the wet fly on other streams, seems an unnecessary +renunciation of opportunity; while to read it as +<span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span>meaning that only the dry fly may be used on +chalk streams, while wet or dry fly may be legitimately +used on others, carries its own condemnation +in logic.</p> + +<p class='c011'>Mr. F. M. Halford, with every desire to be absolutely +fair, has, I think, in Chapter II. of “Dry-Fly +Fishing in Theory and Practice,” done more than +any other man to discredit the wet fly on chalk +streams, by the implications, first, that the principle +of the dry-fly method—viz., the casting of the fly to +a feeding fish in position—is not applicable to the +wet-fly method, and, secondly, that on the stillest +days, with the hottest sun and the clearest water, +the wet fly is utterly hopeless. On both these +points I respectfully join issue with him.</p> + +<p class='c011'>On all that his book contains on the positive side +about the dry fly I am in practical agreement. +But if the reader considers the rods, the lines, +and the flies, that Mr. Halford recommends, he will +see that they are utterly unsuited to wet-fly fishing, +and it would not be surprising that no success +attends them when used for wet-fly work. But if +I am right—and I am—in asserting that, given +reasonably suitable gear, the wet fly <em>may</em> be cast +upstream in chalk streams to a feeding fish in +position (whether surface feeding or not is, I submit, +irrelevant), and that on its day—and there are +many such in the season—it will kill fish alike in +the hottest, brightest, and stillest weather, and on +days and in places and conditions where the dry +<span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>fly is hopeless, and also in the roughest of weather, +then I may claim that it is an art worthy to stand +beside the art of the dry fly as a supplementary +resource of the angler that is at once fair, sportsmanlike, +and capable of adding immensely to his +enjoyment, his sport, and his opportunities for +using the highest skill, not inferior in any sense +(except in the matter of the avoidance of drag) +to that exercised by the dry-fly expert.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span> + <h2 class='c002'>CHAPTER XII<br> <span class='c014'>APOLOGIA</span></h2> +</div> + +<p class='c010'>Having read through the foregoing pages, I am +(indeed, I could hardly fail to be) conscious +that I have written dogmatically, that I have +used the first person singular with some freedom—more +freedom than I had supposed. But I am +not going to change it. What I had to say, +stretched over a period of years, has been too strong +for me. I wanted to elaborate a system, and all +I have done is to tell my personal experiences +in search of a system. If I have written positively, +I would not have it supposed that I claim to be +a master of angling, or that I do not incur by the +water-side my full share—perhaps more than my +full share—of mistakes, tangles, bungles, disasters. +But, for all that, I claim to be entitled to speak +positively of the things which I have tried and +tested for myself and know of my own knowledge. +No man can really know either these same things +or any other things by reading them in a book +or by accepting them upon any authority, whether +it be that of Mr. F. M. Halford or another.</p> + +<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>Nothing presents itself to any two minds in +an identical light. We all see the multicoloured +facets of truth from a different angle. No experience +is the same to two diverse idiosyncrasies, +and the only help which the writing of a book of +this kind can be to others is, not in the laying +down of rules, not in the preaching or advocating +of systems, not in teaching that which the writer +has beaten out by his own experience, but in hints +which start or help trains of observation or +inquiry in the reader’s mind, so as to stimulate +him to work out, and prove, by personal thought +and experiment, to make his own, the conclusions +which his own personality is capable of drawing +from the test.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In this way only is progress possible. In this, +and in doing something to assure that, in the new +learning and in the new systems which come along, +that which is of value in the systems of the past +shall not be forgotten, but shall be transmuted +to the uses of the present and the future, is all +the justification I can plead for the foregoing +pages.</p> + +<p class='c011'>In giving records of my own experience by the +water-side rather than in laying down a system, +I am not asking others to do as I do because I say +it, or to accept anything from me. I would have +no weight allowed by any man to tradition or +authority until it is proved by himself; no man’s +words accepted as final because they are his; +<span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span>everything questioned, tested, and brought to the +dock of practical experience. If I have ventured, +indirectly, to preach at all, the sum of my preaching +is not a system, a method, but an attitude of +mind—the importance of being earnest, the power +of faith, the observant eye, the unfettered +judgment, independence of tradition, and, above +all, the inquiring mind.</p> + +<p class='c011'>With these words I commit my pages to the +judgment or kindness of my brother anglers with +a cordial</p> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> + <div class='nf-center'> + <div>“<span class='sc'>Tight Lines</span>.”</div> + <div class='c008'><span class='sc'>Explicit.</span></div> + <div class='c008'><span class='small'>BILLING AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS, GUILDFORD.</span></div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='pbb'> + <hr class='pb c009'> +</div> +<div class='tnotes x-ebookmaker'> + +<div class='chapter ph2'> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> +<div class='nf-center c001'> + <div>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES</div> + </div> +</div> + +</div> + + <ul class='ul_1 c008'> + <li>Typos fixed; non-standard spelling and dialect retained. + </li> + </ul> + +</div> + +<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76776 ***</div> + </body> + <!-- created with ppgen.py 3.57e (with regex) on 2025-07-31 18:07:02 GMT --> +</html> + diff --git a/76776-h/images/cover.jpg b/76776-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0bd3912 --- /dev/null +++ b/76776-h/images/cover.jpg diff --git a/76776-h/images/i004.jpg b/76776-h/images/i004.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8e1b8a3 --- /dev/null +++ b/76776-h/images/i004.jpg diff --git a/76776-h/images/ititle.jpg b/76776-h/images/ititle.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..91bbbc3 --- /dev/null +++ b/76776-h/images/ititle.jpg |
