FLY FISHING FOR TROUT AND GRAYLING. 311 



fail^; but, short of this extreme case, a palliative may be adopted 

 more wholesome, I admit, than savoury by a keeper who 

 will condescend to details. A few of the crows, magpies, stoats, 

 or cats, that have fallen victims to his professional zeal, may be 

 hung on branches overhanging the water holes in which the fish 

 are gathered to keep their enforced Lent, and a goodly shower 

 of gentles will greatly soften the rigour of the fast. In fact, no 

 source of supply should be overlooked. 



Few anglers are unacquainted with the annoyance of fre- 

 quent wasps' nests along the bank of the stream they are fishing. 

 I have myself more than once been driven to ignominious 

 flight from a promising pool, and the thought has come into 

 my mind, ' I hope when that nest is taken its fragments may be 

 thrown into the stream.' If anyone asks, ' Why, what's that 

 good for ? ' I reply with Shy lock, ' To bait fish withal ! ' 



GRAYLING. 



I have thus far spoken almost exclusively of trout. The 

 grayling, however, deserves more than a mere casual notice, 

 and Cotton's ghost might haunt me if in writing of ' fine and 

 far off ' I ignored the fish he loved so well. 



And indeed, 'for my own particular,' I greatly admire the 

 grayling, who, I think, is less prized than he deserves. His 

 beauty is the least of his merits yet how beautiful he is ! 

 Taken out of season in June, for instance, or early July the 

 dull yellow-brown of his back and sides is not attractive ; but 

 when he has recovered his condition, and adds the charm of 

 colour to his always graceful shape when he shows a rich 

 dark tint down to the mesial line, and silver mail as bright as 

 that of the salmon in level lines below, while his lofty back 

 fin, like some 'storied window, richly dight,' transmits the 

 sunshine through purple, red, and gold, no lovelier prize, save 

 the rarely caught red char, can grace an angler's creel. The 

 curious vegetable fragrance, again, whence he draws his name 



