132 REMARKS ON THE 



Drake " is very plentiful during its season, but upon none 

 of the other Yorkshire rivers, where the " Stone Fly " takes 

 its place, and also its title the " May Fly," a fact which at 

 times is apt to confound the tyro. 



The river Costa, near the little market town of Picker- 

 ing, is a winding, sluggish, chalk stream, closely resembling 

 those of the southern counties, the water is clear as crystal, 

 and the banks being for the most part open, the angler is 

 compelled to exercise great caution in casting his fly ; here 

 also the trout and grayling run heavy, and as on the Drif- 

 field Beck, the " Green Drake " is a sure killer during its 

 day. A club preserves this stream, but a member is allowed 

 a few spare tickets for his friends ; and I have been informed 

 that recently worm fishing has been permitted to weed out 

 some of the overgrown grayling which persistently refused 

 to rise at any fly excepting the " Green Drake." There is 

 some very fair flyfishing for trout and grayling to be had 

 in Pickering Beck, and on that stream the fishing is free, 

 but the fish do not attain to the size that they do upon the 

 Costa. 



The Swale rises in the same mountainous district as the 

 Yore, but does not rank in the same class as an angling 

 stream ; in the upper portions, near Reeth, trout are plen- 

 tiful, but run small ; the " hush " from some lead mines 

 situated near here has however tended greatly to deteriorate 

 the fishing, which is not nearly so good, I understand, as it 

 used to be. At the picturesque old town of Richmond 

 fairly good fishing and comfortable quarters may be met 

 with ; and lower down the stream, at Brompton, Catterick, 

 Skipton Bridge, and Topcliffe, though there are no streams 

 to gladden the heart of the flyfisher, the pike, and bottom 

 fishing for roach, dace, chub, etc., is of the first order; in 

 the lower waters, occasional grayling are sometimes taken, 

 but above Richmond they are not to be found, most prob- 

 ably owing to the impure state of the water. 



