238 Grayling-Fishing . 



the candidate for matrimony, " take him away, and 

 return with him when he is sober." But the ex- 

 pectant bride, fearful lest with the morning there 

 might come " calm reflection," recognised the crisis 

 of her fate, and in a flood of tears exclaimed : " Oh 

 sir, 'deed sir, we maun be coupled the now ; for 

 gin I bide till he's sober, he winna come ! " Ladies 

 fish at times, and at times, too, with double tackle : 



" At once victorious witli their hooks and eyes, 

 They make the fishes and the men their prize." 



Still, even then, who can say that they are not 

 " fair " anglers with a " gentle art " ? But the doting 

 maiden of our story had the true instincts of a 

 grayling - fisher, and angled for as questionable 

 a prize. If a fish that is " free to rise to all 

 comers," and that is "too often" incapable when 

 it does rise, be styled a "lady," 



"The sex, as well as she, may chide you for't ; " 



but I will content myself with the remark that it is 

 certainly no gentleman. 



That the picture which Mr Francis has given 

 us of his grayling is no caricature, I could prove 

 from my own experience of the reception it has 

 always accorded to any overtures which I made to 

 it If, however, my open hostility rule me out of 

 court, let us hear the testimony of others. Old 

 Izaak says, "The grayling is much more simple, 



