GRAYLING. 157 



not least, that it can be caught in the winter when 

 other fly-fishing is at a standstill. It will take both 

 wet and dry flies, and the methods already recom- 

 mended for the trout will in the main do for the 

 other. 



There are, however, points of difference which 

 are worth touching on. Grayling flies, for example, 

 are of rather a special character, and, though the 

 ordinary trout flies will sometimes give a good 

 account of themselves, it is well to have a few 

 patterns specially for grayling. They are usually 

 hackle flies, and, of course, vary a good deal ; but 

 I do not think it is necessary to carry a very large 

 selection. My favourites are Brunton's fancy, gold 

 witch, silver witch, s)lph, red tag, and green insect. 

 I consider the first best of all, and I have never yet 

 known it fail utterly. The second is very like it in 

 appearance, but has enough variation to be per- 

 ceptible to the fish ; at any rate, I have more than 

 once known them to prefer one to the other. The 

 witches and the sylph are the invention of Mr. H. 

 A. Rolt, and have proved their value as grayling 

 flies nearly everywhere. The red tag and green 

 insect are old standard patterns always worth 

 trying. Of the trout flies which the novice has 

 already, the hackle patterns and the Wickham are 

 perhaps the best. As a rule, grayling flies have to 



