FLIES AND FLY FISHING. 91 



The water I prefer when fishing for grayling is slow 

 gliding streams three or four feet deep ; but this bait will 

 kill them in any kind of water. The best times for gray- 

 ling arc the early mornings in September and October, 

 especially after a frosty night ; but they will often take 

 it nearly all day long if it is cloudy. It is no use whatever- 

 oil a bright day, and with this bait, as with fly, in general 

 grayling take it either well or not at all. 



My own idea is, that fish take this bait for some sort 

 of caterpillar ; and, although, when the hook is baited 

 with a grasshopper, grayling take it with, perhaps, a little 

 more avidity than when gentles or anything else is used. 

 I fancy this is to be entirely attributed to the grasshoppers 

 imparting more life to the bait, not to the fact of its being 

 that particular insect, for one of the advantages of this 

 fishing is, that almost anything will do to cover the hook 

 with, a small piece of the fat of meat, &c., and I have 

 killed grayling with only a small green leaf on the hook. 



I am of opinion that every description of fish will take 

 this bait, more or less, having myself killed with it in 

 England grayling, trout, jack, perch, chub, dace, roach, 

 on two occasions carp, and one bream. I have also used 

 it two or three times for coarse fish in India with fair 

 success. 



