I am a Romantic poet but only by chance. Firstly I am a Dry Fly fisherman.

In fly fishing for trout there are two 'schools of principle' That of the 'purist' exact imitationists, whose creed lauds the theory, that to angle successfully and indeed ethically one should attempt to  imitate as closely as possible, the particular insect the trout are feeding upon.

The other school believe it does not matter what colour fly you use because either the fish is colour blind or when taking flies from the surface can only see the fly in silhouette so exact imitation becomes superfluous.

I was a dry fly purist for fourty years and tried to dress trout flies that  copied as far as possible the different species of insects trout were apt to feed on.

It became an obsession and a creed in itself. I dressed there for hundreds of different pattern during those years and was convinced that when others failed and  itook fish, that my exact imitations made the difference.

Some ten years ago I had the unfortunate experience of having my car broken into and all of my fly boxes taken. 40 years of flydressings finest gone in a flash.

To carry on fishing I was forced to tie some more flies quickly and subconsciously chose to dress  a general representation Known as the Gold Ribbed Hares ear. I tied it in a range of sizes from large to miniscule and fished with that pattern  alone for all of the next 6 years. At the end of those years I had taken just as many truot as I wuold have done had I not lost my fly boxes at all.

No longer was I  an exact imitationist but in the process I lost something.
The magic had gone out of  dry fly fishing for trout. There was no mystery anymore. It was a lesson sadly learned.

The poem was inspired by a text by G.E.M.Skues a famous English fly fisher
Of the 1930s and one of the Forefathers of Dry flyfishing as an art. Due acknowledgement is given to his inspiration and for the take on his title
'The way of a trout with a fly'

The trout don't really give a tot 
If the dressing is true  or if it is not 
For in the watery world that's their lot 
Exact imitation is not their plot 
Because when looking up to  the  surface like me 
Size form and shape is all  that they see 

Like a man with a maid when all is quite said 
Matter not her looks if she's good in bed 
The same with a trout when eyeing a fly 
Shall I eat in now or let it go by? 
For a simple fact and we all know why 
The colours are bland set against a white sky 

Just like a woman pleased to entice 
She can be a plain Jane if her body is nice 
And clearly defining most of her class 
A high society chic if she has a nice ass 
'Tis the same with a trout examining a fly  
If it looks underdressed he will give it a try 

As a man with a maid will do in  awhile 
If she is scantilly clad it causes a smile 
As the way of a trout is with a fly 
Then  so is a man with a maid