GEAYLING-FLIES. 97 



bottom. Grayling feed best in morning and afternoon during 

 the summer, and about mid-day in winter. On some rivers 

 the large fish hardly ever take the fly, and in the North fly- 

 fishing gives place to " swimming the worm " from the end of 

 October till after Christmas; and in the Midlands it is prac- 

 tised throughout the winter, should the weather be sufficiently 

 genial. 



Fly-fishing for Grayling much resembles fly-fishing for 

 trout. On the Hampshire rivers grayling are caught with 

 the floating fly, but the wet fly by no means fails to take 

 them. Mr. Halford gives me the following as being the best 

 Test grayling-flies : Wickham's Fancy (see page 32), which is 

 always useful ; the Red Tag* and Orange Bumble,t killers 

 in any stream; and the Adjutant Blue. J These are fancy 

 flies ; but imitations of the natural flies, especially the Duns, 

 are very killing. A pale- winged Dun, with an apple- green 

 body, dressed very small, is a particularly good grayling-fly. 

 Mr. T. E. Pritt, author of that beautiful work "The Book 

 of the G-rayling" — where will be found Mr. Walbran's and 

 other accomplished anglers' pet casts — gives as his favourite 

 flies for Yorkshire and the Midlands the Crimson Tag,§ Dark 

 Needle, I! and Fog Blacky (see Fig. 63). In Derbyshire, the 

 Bumbles are, of course, great favourites ; and I may remark 

 generally, as to fancy grayling-flies, that they are always the 

 better for a little bit of colour and tinsel. Grayling occa- 

 sionally rise well to the May-fly, but when that occurs, having 

 recently spawned, they should be returned to the water. 



* Hackle, blood-red gamecock. Body, copper-coloured peacock barl, two or 

 three strands twisted together (or a single strand of blue and yellow macaw tail- 

 feather). Tag, ibis, or scarlet seal fur, or scarlet wool. Hook, or 00. 



+ Hackle, honey-dun cock. Body, orange floss silk, ribbed with a strand of pea- 

 cock sword-feather, and with fine flat gold. Hook, long or 00 long. 



X AVings, medium starling or pale coot. Body, a strand from the pinion or tail- 

 feather of an adjutant (or strip of quill from pinion-feather of an oldish starling). 

 Hackle and whisk, blue Andalusian. Hook, 00 or 000. The strand of adjutant is 

 stripped on one edge only, by tearing down the longer flue with the thumb and fore- 

 finger of the left hand. 



§ Hackle, bronzy feather from golden plover's breast (in full plumage). Body, 

 bright green peacock's harl, dressed full. Tag, crimson wool. 



II Hackled with feather from darkest part of brown owl's wing. 



•I Wings, bullfinch's wing. Body, dark purple ailk, dubbed with dark heron's 

 harl. Legs, from neck of starling. 



