404 WANDERINGS AND PONDERINGS 



landing-net introduced into the recej)iaculum, and the fish 

 transferred to the gridiron. The Insect-Hunter has never par- 

 taken of a grayhng cooked ahve, and in truth, does not desire 

 to do so : the dehcacy is too recherche, for a layman : but he 

 can bear witness to the excellence of the Lemster grayling, 

 and does not wonder at the trouble taken by the reverend 

 gourmands to procure this luxury in its greatest perfection. 



Chapter XVI. 



[In which the Insect-Hunter speaketh of Fishing and Fishing-flies.] 



It may be supposed that Lemster, seeing that its entire 

 neighbourhood is so intersected with streams, must be essen- 

 tially a fishing town. It is peculiarly pleasant to see the 

 Lemstrians throw off the cares and toils of life, and issue forth 

 on a calm summer's evening, to enjoy the luxury of fishing. 

 I have often been delighted at the intense interest displayed in 

 watching the float in its passage down the stream ; had 

 kingdoms depended on the result, the interest taken could not 

 have been greater : it is, moreover, exceedingly pleasing to 

 contemplate the content with which an angler will return home 

 without even having had a single bite. It is no uncommon 

 thing for men, much engaged during the day, to rise at three or 

 four o'clock of a summer's morning, walk many miles to a fa- 

 vourite spot, fish whole hours without a bite, and return with 

 beaming countenances and contented hearts, to the business of 

 the day. 



Although this is so completely a trout country, there exists a 

 great prejudice against fly-fishing. It is occasionally resorted 

 to when the grey drake ' is on the wing ; but even then very 

 partially adopted. The banks of all the rivers are much over- 

 grown with alder, whitethorn, and other shubby trees ; and 

 these are a very great annoyance in whipping with a fly, as the 

 line is constantly getting entangled. I recollect an instance in 

 which the feeling against fly-fishing was eminently called forth ; 

 Sir Humphrey Davy's delightful Salmonia was indignantly re- 

 jected by a Book Society, expressly because it professed to 



■ The grey drake is the imperfect imago of Ephemera vuk/cda. ■jl 



r 



