156 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



becoming too numerous is to keep the stock of them 

 within reasonable bounds, and with a well-filled 

 basket on one's back one has the feeling that one is 

 assisting in this good work. The feeling is not of 

 so frequent recurrence that it becomes wearisome ; 

 oftener one is grieved to realise how little one can 

 do " for the good of the stream." 



The grayling spawns about April, recovers 

 condition pretty quickly, and is fair game by July, 

 though it is at its best from October to December. 

 A two-pounder is a big one from most rivers, but 

 three-pounders are not unknown in the chalk 

 streams, especially the Test. In mountain streams, 

 to some of which the fish has been introduced, 

 it seems to grow better than the trout. I have 

 -noticed in more than one river that grayling of 

 three-quarters of a pound are about the average on 

 a good day, as against trout of some five ounces. 

 It might be urged that if there were no grayling 

 there the trout would be bigger, but in one case an 

 interval of some years elapsed between two visits 

 to a river. Grayling were introduced during this, 

 and by the time of the second visit they had grown 

 and multiplied, but the trout had not altered 

 either in size or condition. The greatest merits of 

 the grayling, however, are that it is a very game 

 opponent, that it is usually a free riser, and, last but 



