THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



trout as the rest of the party altogether ; and when grayKng 

 fishing, in October, he actually filled his basket, whilst the 

 rest of us could scarcely take a fish ? Then, again, I believe 

 you heard the story of Mr. Musters, in tlie preserved waters 

 of his friend, near Uxbridge. There was a trout of six pounds 

 in a hole, which the keepers of the owner of the domain had 

 long tried to take, but they had always failed in their attempts. 

 Mr. Musters came down from London for the purpose, choosing 

 a favourable day, — took the fish at the third throw, and gave 

 the keepers a guinea. 



' Pray, sir,' inquired Frank, ' which do you consider to be the 

 best rivers for grayling ? ' 



'The Dove and the Trent,' replied Mr. Egerton, 'are, I 

 believe, about the best ; and the Teme, which runs through 

 Herefordshire and Shropshire. In this river, near Ludlow, 

 was caught the largest grayling ever seen in England ; it 

 measured half a yard in length, and weighed four pounds six 

 ounces, which is considered a prodigious size and weight for 

 this species of fish. By the bye, I can tell you an anecdote 

 relating to this river, which is highly complimentary to the 

 pursuit of fishing, associated as it is with a love of rural 

 scenery (in which that country abounds), and the enjoyment of 

 the beauties of nature. The autumnal months are best suited 

 to this stream ; and it happened that General Tarleton, after 

 having revelled in the pleasures and luxuries of a London 

 season, retired to the village of Leintwardine, about nine miles 

 from Ludlow, for the purpose of fishing for grayling in the 

 Teme. He had excellent sport; and when he left the small 

 inn at which he had sojourned for a month, he wrote the 

 following postscript to the landlord's bill : " I voluntarily add 

 the sum of twenty pounds to the amount of this bill ; being 

 not only an acknowledgment of its very moderate charges, but 

 in testimony of the fact that the month which I have passed 

 in the village of Leintwardine has been the happiest that I have 

 hitherto passed." ' 



There is one practice of the fisherman in which Frank 

 Raby was desirous to excel, and this was the dexterous throw- 

 ing of the casting-net, at whicli Perren, tlie head keeper, was 

 a proficient. Dressed in liis smock-frock, then, would Frank 

 be seen at the shallows, below the mill, in which gudgeons and 

 perch were plenty ; and he was now and then rewarded Avith a 



63 



