THE GRAYLING, AND BAIT-FISHING FOR. 401 



water is frequently almost covered with dead leaves which attach 

 themselves to his flies, and are a considerable trial to his patience. 

 A pleasant walking trip may be made from Kingsland to 

 Shobdon, and from thence through the woods by a very romantic 

 path to the banks of the Lugg, returning to Kingsland by Aymestry 

 and Mortimer's Cross. Another agreeable excursion may be made 

 from Aymestry to the old ruins of Wigmore Castle, which are 

 extensive, and well worthy of inspection, and from thence to 

 Presteign. 



In weight the grayling rarely exceeds 3 Ibs., and by far the 

 greater number of fish taken are under i Ib. Occasionally, 

 however, they are even met with of even a larger size than the 

 above-named : Mr. T. Lister Parker took three fish in the 

 Avon, near Ringwood, which together weighed 12 Ibs. ; a gray- 

 ling of 4^ Ibs. weight was killed in the Test, and one of 5 Ibs. 

 is recorded to have been taken in the neighbourhood of 

 Shrewsbury. 



Bowlker, in his 'Art of Angling,' says that the largest grayling 

 he ever knew weighed 55 Ibs., and Mr. Jones, who was well 

 known to Ludlow grayling fishers as a most skilful and inde- 

 fatigable angling attendant, tells me that he never knew or 

 heard of a bigger. He himself caught one weighing 4 Ibs. 5 ozs. 

 in the presence of Mr. Walcott, of Bitterly Court. This was 

 with a single hair and a gentle. The fish was stuffed by 

 the late Dr. Buckley, of Shrewsbury. It is curious that though 

 Bowlker was a Ludlow man, and doubtless a good grayling 

 fisher, he does not mention the artificial grasshopper at all in his 

 book. Jones claims to have been the first to introduce it, at any 

 rate in the neighbourhood of Ludlow. In the Leintwardine Club 

 there are only certain days of the year on which, if I remember 

 rightly, grasshopper fishing is allowed, a precaution that may, 

 perhaps, be necessary on club water which is liable to be 

 assiduously and closely fished. The limit of size under which 

 the Club used to permit the taking of grayling, either with bait 

 or fly, was 10 inches. 



In connection with this, the limitation of size, naturally 

 occurs that of the growth rate. 



i. D D 



