GRAYLING. 161 



often come to the net without much difficulty, but if 

 he once gets his head he will not only fight to a 

 finish, but even then begin the battle all over again. 

 His play is never so dashing as that of a trout, but 

 it is longer and, on the whole, more formidable. 

 I am much more nervous with a good grayling 

 than with a trout of the same size. Barring 

 accidents, one ought to land the trout ; with the 

 grayling accidents cannot be barred. 



In some northern waters grayling are much fished 

 for with bait, red worms and gentles being the best 

 lures. I have caught them both with a float and 

 without it, and the novice ought not to find much 

 difficulty in acquiring the knack of " swimming the 

 worm." Fine roach tackle with a tiny round cork 

 float is generally used ; the bait should be a few 

 inches off the bottom, and roach-fishing ideas are 

 adapted to the requirements of rapid and broken 

 water, of which some miles are cohered in a day, 

 either by wading or from the bank. I rather like 

 a light 1 2ft. rod (I have even seen a man using a 

 1 6ft. salmon-rod, and catching fish with it), but a 

 i oft. fly-rod will do. The important thing is to 

 offer the worm in the right places and in a natural 

 manner, as though it were borne along by the 

 stream, and the tackle employed is subsidiary to 



that end. 



M 



