OBSERVATIONS 



THE GRAYLING. 



" Most writers, in treating of this fish, have stated that it ' 

 struggles but for a very short time, and is, therefore, productive 

 of little diversion ; but the contrary is not unfrequently the 

 case." — Bainbeidge. 



The Grayling, Salmo Thymallus of the naturalist, 

 is a more elegantly-formed fish even than the 

 Trout. He has a smaller head and mouth, 

 is broader across the shoulders, and tgipers off 

 more rapidly tov^^ards the tail, which is more 

 forked. The front of the eye is elliptical, and 

 the pupil much more elongated than that of the 

 Trout, the side towards the nose being drawn 

 out to an acute angle. The opposite side is less 

 acute. 



His back fin is very large. It has twenty- 

 three spines, the ventral fin (near the head) has 

 sixteen, the pectoral ten, the anal fourteen, and 

 tlie tail eighteen. 



He sometimes grows to the weight of about 

 three pounds, though one of a pound and a half 

 is considered a good-sized fish, and larger are 

 not very often caught with the fly, the usual 

 weight being from two ounces to a pound of 

 those which rise freelv to it. The fish of the 



