REAL SECRET. 173 



for it), and two flies, and when you have thrown 

 your line as light as gossamer, let it sink for 

 eight or ten inches. You will not see a rise, but 

 a slight curl in the water, which by a little practice 

 you will understand quite as well, and when you 

 strike you will have the pleasure of finding a 

 pounder or more tugging away at the end of your 

 line. 



4 This is the real secret of grayling fishing, and I 

 have often filled my basket, while eight or ten 

 other fishermen on the water, using the very same 

 flies, have not managed to kill a decent dish amongst 

 them all. 



' I have also remarked that another circumstance, 

 very well known to be true in regard to salmon, is 

 equally applicable to grayling, viz. that on certain 

 streams they prefer particular flies. One stream in 

 particular I can mention, where I have found them 

 take the orange tag-tail, often refusing every other 

 fly, and when no fish in any other stream would look 

 at the tag-tail. But no rule can possibly be laid 

 down for this, as it can only be learnt by expe- 

 rience ; and my strongest recommendation is when 

 once you have got on a fly that kills fish, never 

 change it. I have often seen a man try every fly in 

 his book without success, whilst another with only 

 three flies, and a little perseverance, has been 

 quietly filling his basket. This is old advice, but 

 it is particularly applicable to grayling, as some- 



