174 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



beautiful fish respond to his deftly cast flies, will 

 bear me out in the assertion that for courage, 

 finesse, and all the qualities that constitute a 

 true game-fish, the grayling is the equal of its con- 

 gener, the trout. 



In France it is known as ombre, in Germany 

 as asche, and in Norway as barren. Among 

 all English-speaking people it is the grayling, 

 though occasionally it is called umber in parts 

 of England. All of these names are somewhat 

 descriptive of its grayish, ashy, or bluish colora- 

 tion. Gliding along in clear, swift water it 

 seems, indeed, a gray shadow ; but fresh out 

 of its native element it becomes a creature of 

 mother-of-pearl, so beautiful and varied are its 

 tints. 



The graceful outlines and beautifully-moulded 

 proportions of the grayling, together with the 

 satiny sheen and delicate coloration of her adorn- 

 ment, have always impressed me as essentially 

 feminine. The evanescent play of prismatic 

 hues on her shapely and rounded sides, when 

 fresh from the pure and crystal stream she loves 

 so well, reminds one of changeable silk shot with 

 all the colors of the rainbow. Her tall dorsal 

 fin, with its rose-colored spots, she waves as 



