The Grayling Family 189 



experience that they are not so apt to see the 

 angler as other species in mid-water or near the 

 surface, especially in the clear chalk streams. 



In America, the streams being deeper, the ne- 

 cessity for fishing up-stream is not so apparent. 

 Fishing down-stream is by far the best plan, for 

 obvious reasons, if the angler wades slowly and 

 cautiously, so as not to roil the water. The prin- 

 cipal reason is that one's line is always straight 

 and taut in swift water, and the flies can be more 

 easily controlled and floated down over the fish, 

 which always heads up-stream. Upon hooking 

 the fish it can be drawn to one side, whereby the 

 other fish in the pool are not much more alarmed 

 than in the case of casting up or across. Casting 

 across seems to be really a concession to the 

 advantage of fishing down-stream. 



The fly-rod, reel, line, and leader ordinarily 

 employed for trout-fishing may be used also for 

 grayling, though I would advise some modifica- 

 tions. While a first-class split-bamboo rod of 

 three and a half or four ounces may be advanta- 

 geously used by an angler who knows how to handle 

 a very light rod, I prefer one of five or six ounces. 

 Such a rod is certainly light enough to be used 

 all day without fatigue, and it is well to have the 



