96 PRACTICAL LESSONS IN RIVER ANGLING. 



I have known good fishermen foiled by using a gut of 

 ordinary thickness, though their fly was of the right 

 size and colour. Very slender transparent gut, of the 

 colour of the water, is one of the most important 

 causes of success in grayling fishing. In the Avon 

 and Test, May-flies, and even moths, are greedily taken 

 in the summer by large grayling. Flies, that do not 

 inhabit the water, but are blown from the land, are 

 good baits for grayling. There is 116 method more 

 killing for large grayling, than applying a grasshopper 

 to the point of a leaded hook, the lead and shank of 

 which are covered with green and yellow silk, to imitate 

 the body of the animal. This mode of fishing is called 

 sinking and drawing. I have seen it practised in this 

 river with as much success as maggot-fishing : and the 

 fish taken were all of the largest size; the method 

 being most successful in deep holes, where the bottom 

 was not visible, which are the natural haunts of such 

 fish. In the winter, grayling rise for an hour or two, in 

 bright and tolerably warm weather ; and, at this time, 

 the smallest imitations of black or pale gnats that can 

 be made, on the smallest sized hook, succeed best in 

 taking them. Throughout the summer and autumn, 

 in fine calm evenings, a large dun fly, with a pale 

 yellow body, is greedily taken by grayling after sunset ; 

 and the imitation of it is very killing. In the end of 

 October, and through November, there is no fly-fishing 

 but in the middle of the day, when imitations of the 

 smaller duns may be used with great success ; and I 

 have often seen the fish sport most, and fly-fishing 

 pursued with the greatest success, in bright sunshine, 



