Related article: my friend, the celebrated dry-fly fisher, the late John Day, and we were not long in securing a long lease of the best water, some sixteen miles. How heartily I objected to learning German "out of hours" at school, and it is the most useful thing I learnt, except French. The South country dry - fly fisher would object to the number of bushes and trees on the banks of the Hertz Bach, but to my mind they are an inesti- mable blessing, and it is easy enough to have them cut out wherever wanted. It is usually advisable to have one bank over- grown and the opposite bank clear. With a mixed vegetation on the banks, an enormous num- ber of insects are produced, many of which, either in the larval or perfect stage, fall into or are blown into the river on windy days. The alder fly, for instance, is not fond of water, but I have seen them floating down in dozens on a windy day, fluttering to get off the water, and occasionally rest- ing for an instant with the wings folded over the back. Overhang- ing trees and bushes form shade and shelter for trout; besides an enormously varied diet of insect food, they also serve as a back- ground to the angler — a most important matter, and one not much recognised at present. It is surprising how near you can approach a trout with a bush behind you, provided the bank is firm and does not vibrate much. My readers may be asking. Well, what sorts of bags do you get in your favourite Hertz Bach ? In 1897 ^^® mayfly came up on May 29th, and during ten short days' fishing I took 683 trout, averaging a trifle under the pound. My companion caught about as many. In 1898 I did my fishing in bed in London. No more wading, or getting cold, or wet* I had been through some six years of tents and canoes, and thought I was as hard as a paving- stone ; but nature sends in the bill some time, and has to be paid cash. However, in spite of wast- ing from two to three hours driving home to lunch and rest every day, I managed to secure an average of over fifty fish per day in 1899, although I could not wade, and the mayfly was a week late, which upset plans. The Hartz Bach fishes well all through the season, but best during the mayfly time. According to the water you fish, you get a larger proportion of wet or dry-fly fish- 1900.] ANOTHER GERMAN TROUT-RIVER. 129 ingj always alternating. I could never see as an entomologist that the fly with divided wings re- sembled anything in Nature ; the heavy wings when on the water might tempt an extra greedy trout, but they are supposed to be cocked. Hackled flies are good enough for me, and the trout can take for granted the semidiapha- nous wings of an ephemerid closely folded over the back. Personally I like soft hackles, they work with the water in a stream, and float none the worse in still water. Setae I object to. The natural ones could only be represented by hair, and I think the heavy feather imitations often cause flsh to rise short. In Ashing a river as described, the angler must be able to use the wet and dry fly alternately ; 1 say the wet fly, as I consider the use of more than one fly to be a shabby trick, on a par with brown- ing a young covey of partridges with both barrels. He must also be able to switch his fly off^ the water ; it is not easy, but so use- ful when a tree is behind you, and the fly drops like a feather. What little I know I learnt from the Germans, and it is a pity the art is not more cultivated in England on wooded streams. The trout under the half-pound that you throw back every day are rather a nuisance, but they would probably make a record day for many a Devonshire fisherman — sprightly little chaps, and may they grow bigger. The keeping alive of fish is a subject that should receive atten- tion in this country. Germany has not our sea-fish supply, and trout alive have a value from two to ten Buy Dexamethason shillings per pound, accord- ing to circumstances. They like their trout fresh, but where in London or any large town can you buy a live trout ? and where can't you in Germany ? In out- of-the-way shooting-lodges in Scot- land and Ireland how difficult it is to get sea fish, yet sometimes the house party go out fishing on the loch or the burns, and get himdreds of trout which are for the most part wasted. A simple method is to bring the fish home in bait-cans, or even stable- buckets, sink a large packing-case with holes bored at each end in the nearest running water, and keep your fish until they are wanted ; a little feeding won't hurt them. A day's catch looks very difierent when turned out of a basket all clammy and sticky than it does turned into a tank, swimming about as gaily as pos- sible. And what about the eat- ing ? A trout wants to be knocked on the head and cooked at once. My largest trout in the Hertz Bach was just over 3lbs. It may seem odd but I should have thrown him back to grow larger in my lower Weimar water, but I prefer fifty one-pounders in the Hertz Bach to six four-pounders at Weimar.* J. H. L. * The upper water at Weimar is now let privately. (See i^w^of Jan. 13th ) 130 [August The Sportsman's Library. Messrs. Thomas, the enterprising sporting tailors, have published a pocket diary for polo-players* which well deserves notice. We have a calendar giving the dates of polo fixtures at Hurling- ham, Ranelagh, and elsewhere during the season : the Hurling- ham Rules, Revised Rules for the County Club Cup and Conditions for Cup Tournaments. Following a list of winning teams in great events during the last few years, we find a very useful alphabetical list of ponies which were mea- sured and passed last year at Hurlingham. It gives informa- tion respecting the County Polo Association, and a list of the ofi&cers and the rules. With re- ference to this, it must be pointed out that the particulars given