GRAYLING— BREEDING AND MODES OF CAPTURE. i!«3 



cross was again, but unsuccessfully, tried at 33 niontlis and 12 days, fur ail the 

 eggs, 4153 in number, died. 



March 31st, 1887, Mr. Andrews crossed female grayling -with trout. Eggs 

 straw-coloxired, but not so clear as graylings when I saw them on April Gth, but 

 they did not hatch. The difficulty of hybridizing grayling with trout milt arises 

 from two cli'cumstances — first, that trout breeding in many rivers has concluded, 

 or nearly so, prior to that of the former fish ; secondly, the size of the gi-ayling 

 eggs is so much smaller than those of the trout. 



Means of capture. — Netting similarly to that employed for trout, but generally 

 grayling is taken by angling and employing line tackle, and this is principally 

 done either wdth ground-bait,* or grasshop])er (sink and draw plan), or by fly 

 fishing, remembering that they must be delicately handled as their mouths are 

 by no means strong for retaining a hook. Althougli, as has been frequently 

 observed, this fish is to a certain extent fit for eating all the year round, it is most 

 ■justly protected throughout the spawning months, while during October and 

 November, into the middle of January, it is in_ its prime for the table. In the 

 Test, although the Houghton Chib used to open this fishing from June 1st, the 

 fish were generally in poor condition, but ready to take almost any fly which was 

 offered: but in July the case became different, the fish were in good condition 

 and much more difficult to please. Still it is generally considered that September 

 and October are the two best months for the fly-fisher, althougli in November they 

 will take a fly or a bait, more especially in the middle of the day, and even with 

 a shining sun. In the Teme the larger fish rarely take the fly, but will take the 

 grasshopper. The grajdiug, although a very capricious fish, is not quite so shy as 

 the trout nor so game when hooked, and often bores with its head up stream in 

 order to get to the bottom, while if baffled it turns down stream still similarly 

 boring : a shorter line may be employed, and fishing down stream is mostly 

 adopted. It will often rise when least expected, and when most freely taking 

 the natural fly will frequently refuse the artificial : on other occasions it M'ill 

 rise several times in succession at the same fly, and, if not touched by the hook, 

 attempts at its capture maybe continued. If a rise occurs, the fisherman should 

 strike gently, play his fish quietly, and land it with a net, because its mouth, is 

 tender and readily gives way. The flies employed are much the same as those 

 for trout, but smaller as a rule, although the May-fly is not always refused. 

 The smaller fish are generally taken on the shallows, and with the fly which 

 is usually declined by the larger grayling. Introduced from other waters they 

 sometimes lose their game character and refuse the fly. Walton says it "is very 

 gamesome at the fly : and much simpler, and therefore bolder than a trout * * * 

 yet he is not so general a fish as the trout, nor to me so good to eat or to 

 angle for." 



The grayling, however, amongst its other eccentric habits, will sometimes, 

 under the most adverse conditions, " come on" just for an hour or two. It may 

 be in the forenoon, or at midday, or in the earlier hours of the cool afternoon ; 

 and, should the weather be warm, overcast, or even drizzling, they may sometimes 

 be taken at all hours of the day (Field, November 25th, 1884). The largest fish 

 are killed during October and November with the sunken fly. Fishing up-stream 

 for grayling is, with the dry fly, a mistake. The authorities who recommend the 

 casting of the flies across stream, and the allowing of them to sweep leisurely out 

 (with the line, however, well in hand) and down with the current, after all give 

 good advice, and, in the long run, we ai^e convinced that this is the most paying- 

 way of fly-fishing for grayling. These fish herd on the shallows, and are very 

 fond of them if they are wide and gravelly, or sandy, and well in the open ; but 

 whei'e the stream runs deepest in the middle there the best grayling will be 

 found, roaming, it may be, occasionally to the sides, but sticking in the main to 

 the centi'e. This is especially the case in waters like our lowland streams, that 

 do not possess the alternations of rapid and slow currents, pools, stickles, and 

 races, such as are found in the established grayling rivers of Yorkshire, Derby- 



* Mr. Pritt observed " that in the Yorkshire rivers the grayling will only take a worm icell iu 

 frosty weather" (Field, April 17th, 1886). 



