certainly the best of all other, was taught me by a kinsman of mine, one Captain Henry Jackson; a near neighbour; an admirable fly-angler; by many degrees the best fly-maker that ever I yet met with'. And now that I have told you how a fly is to be made, you shall presently see me make one, with which you may peradventure take a Trout this morning, notwithstanding the unlikeliness of the day; for it is now nine of the clock, and fish will begin to rise, if they will rise to-day. I will walk along by you, and look on. And, after dinner, I will proceed in my lecture of fly-fishing.

Viat. I confess I long to be at the river; and yet I could sit here all day to hear you: but some of the one, and some of the other, will do well; and I have a mighty ambition to take a Trout in your river Dove.

Pisc. I warrant you shall: I would not, for more than I will speak of, but you should; seeing I have so extolled my river to you: nay I will keep you here a month, but you shall have one good day of sport before you go.

Viat. You will find me, I doubt, too tractable that way; for, in good earnest, if business would give me leave, and that it were fit, I could find in my heart to stay with you for ever.

Pisc. I thank you, Sir, for that kind expression. And now let me look out my things to make this fly.

(1) There needs nothing more to be said of these Directions, than that hundreds have, by means of them alone, become excellent flymakers.

For making a palmer, or hackle, see the Notes on Chap. VII.

CHAP. VI.

Fishing at the top continued. Further Directions for Fly-making. Time when the GRAYLING is in season. Rock in Pike-Pool.

Piscator. Boy! come, give me my dubbing-bag here presently; and now, Sir, since I find you so honest a man, I will make no scruple to lay open my treasure before you.

Viator. Did ever any one see the like! what a heap of trumpery is here! certainly never an angler in Europe has his shop half so well furnished as you have.

Pisc. You, perhaps, may think now, that I rake together this trumpery, as you call it, for shew only, to the end that such as see it (which are not many, I assure you) may think me a great master in the art of angling: but let me tell you, here are colours (as contemptible as they seem here) that are very hard to be got, and scarce any one of them which, if it should be lost, I should not miss, and be concerned about the loss of it too, once in the year. But look you, Sir, amongst all these I will chuse out these two colours only; of which, this is bear's hair, this darker, no great matter what; but I am sure I have killed a great deal of fish with it; and with one or both of these, you shall take Trout or Grayling this very day, notwithstanding all disadvantages, or my art shall fail me.

Viat. You promise comfortably, and I have a great deal of reason to believe every thing you say: but I wish the fly were made, that we were at it.

Pisc. That will not be long in doing: and pray observe then. You see, first, how I hold my hook; and thus I

begin. Look you, here are my first two or three whips about the bare hook; thus I join hook and line; thus I put on my wings; thus I twirl and lap on my dubbing; thus I work it up towards the head; thus I part my wings; thus I nip my superfluous dubbing from my silk; thus fasten; thus trim and adjust my fly. And there's a fly made; and now how do you like it?

Viat. In earnest, admirably well; and it perfectly resembles a fly but we about London make the bodies of our flies both much bigger and longer, so long as even almost to the very beard of the hook.

Pisc. I know it very well, and had one of those flies given me by an honest gentleman, who came with my father Walton to give me a visit; which (to tell you the truth) I hung in my parlour-window to laugh at: but, Sir, you know the proverb, "They who go to Rome, must do as they at Rome do;" and believe me, you must here make your flies after this fashion, or you will take no fish. Come, I will look you out a line, and you shall put it on, and try it. There, Sir, now I think you are fitted; and now beyond the farther end of the walk you shall begin: I see, at that bend of the water above, the air crisps the water a little knit your line first here, and then go up thither, and see what you can do.

:

Viat. Did you see that, Sir?

Pisc. Yes, I saw the fish: and he saw you to, which made him turn short, You must fish further off, if you intend to have any sport here; this is no New River, let me tell you. That was a good Trout, believe me: did you touch him?

Viat. No, I would I had, we would not have parted so. Look you, there was another: this is an excellent fly. Pisc. That fly I am sure would kill fish, if the day were right but they only chew at it, I see, and will not take