THE GRAYLING, OR UMBER. 155 



** The Umbra swift, escapes the quickest eye." 

 This Fish spawns the latter end of May, and sel- 

 dom exceeds a pound in weighty the head, gills, 

 and back are brown, dappled with black -, the belly is 

 large, handsome, and of a white colour ; the body long 

 and round, over which runs several lines from the 

 head to the tailj the middle line is spotted with black j 

 i the back fin is very large, and regularly spotted or 

 waved with dark brown, and stands erect, like that 

 1 of a Perch. They have teeth in the jaws and gullet : 

 1 they feed on worms, flies, and small insects, and are 

 angled for the same as for Trout in respect to flies, 

 particularly the camlet and palmer fly ; but if a worm 

 or gentle is used, which they are very fond of, in the 

 Spring and early part of a Summer's morning, if the 

 water is somewhat coloured, then angle within a foot 

 from the bottom, and use a No. 9 hook to your line, 

 but no float. Grayling, or Umber, arc fearless in 

 taking a bait, and will often bite while a loose hook 

 hangs in their mouths, which the Angler may have 

 lost a minute before ; but, when you have fairly hooked 

 tim, like the Chub, he is soon subdued : strike im- 

 mediately you see or feel a bite. This Fish is gene- 

 rally called a Grayling, until full grown, then it is 

 entitled to the name of Umber. In the river Severn, 

 with these Grayling you often take a small beautiful 

 Fish called a Spring, of the Salmon species : in the 

 North, this Fish is called Salmon Peel ; in the West, 

 Gravellings ; and in the South, we call them Skeggers. 



