242 Grayling-Fishing. 



were unknown there, a basket of 23 or 24 Ib. of 

 trout was not uncommon ; now one of 4 or 5 Ib. 

 is considered good. 



But again, the presence of grayling in a trout- 

 stream will add greatly to the difficulty of obtaining 

 what we should long ago have had from the Legis- 

 lature, and what we must ere long have if our 

 rivers are to receive the protection they deserve, 

 and that is a close-time for trout. Sir Humphry 

 Davy tells us that grayling-fishing may be pursued 

 at " all times of the year." Few, we suspect, even 

 of the lovers of tame sport and poor fish, would 

 subscribe to this. Cotton more correctly styles 

 the grayling a " winter fish " ; and though modern 

 English authors consider it legitimate to take him 

 any time between August and Christmas, the opinion 

 is wellnigh unanimous that November is his best 

 month. Grayling are therefore most "in season" 

 when trout are most out of it; and Mr Francis 

 adduces this fact as one of his strongest arguments 

 for the introduction of grayling, inasmuch as he 

 sees in it a chance of obtaining sport of some kind 

 all the year round. Of course he would take each 

 in its own season only. But though all scrupulous 

 grayling-fishers would desire to return to the water 

 any trout they might happen to catch in the win- 

 ter months, the weaker virtue of others would be 

 all the better of any assistance which a stringent 



