GRAYLING FISHING. 59 



hardly expect to see the dimple of a rising trout. At the same time 

 the fish loves rapid streams and shallows, retiring for rest to the 

 deeper pools. 



To be absolutely candid, I would always prefer to fish for trout 

 rather than to fish for grayling. This may possibly be through lack 

 of experience and opportunity ; but no one can gainsay the fact that 

 grayling are in condition when trout are not, that they are a worthy 

 quarry and gamesome, despite (Brother) Cotton's condemnation of them 

 as " dead-hearted " fish. To be able to defer putting away one's favourite 

 rods until October, November, and even December have passed away 

 is no mean advantage, and I, for one, would be indeed sorry to decry 

 the grayling in any way whatever. 



Grayling do not, as a rule, rise as freely as trout will do during 

 heavy rain, nor does muggy weather suit them ; the best time for grayling 

 fishing in late autumn or early winter is from about twelve to two, on 

 a bright day, after a sharp and crisp frost. As they lie so low in the 

 water and have to come to the surface to take a fly, they frequently 

 miss their object, whether real or artificial ; and after they have taken 

 the fly, or missed it, as the case may be, they dive downwards to the 

 bottom again, often breaking the water with their forked tails in so 

 doing. They are, therefore, more easy of approach than trout, as there 

 is a larger intervening amount of water to screen you. As they take 

 surface food, and yet lie so deep, their quaint lozenge-shaped eyes have 

 an upward turn. They are peculiarly gut shy, and any undue coarseness 

 in this respect or glistening glare in your cast will effectually choke 

 them off from their intended rise. They may be taken by almost any 

 of the ordinary surface flies, by a red tag, or by means of many of 

 the pale watery hackle flies fished wet. The depth of the water in 

 which they love to lie renders them less susceptible to continued flogging 

 than trout. Remember, if you hook a good grayling, that the corners 

 of his mouth are very tender compared with those of a trout, and 

 that, salmon-like, he takes a header downwards after taking your fly, 

 thus tending to hook himself ; therefore the quickest and gentlest of 

 wrist turns is sufficient to cement the attachment between you. And 

 although grayling fishermen will not admit that the mouth of a grayling 

 is more tender, generally speaking, than that of a trout, it is extraordinary 



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