228 FLY FISHING FOR GRAYLING. 



expensive, quite disregard the fact that a rod 

 on grayling water can be had for a third of 

 the money and will afford them for two months 

 or more a delightful pastime. 



As I have already observed, the grayling 

 is a maligned fish ; as often as not judged 

 from his appearance either in the early 

 spring or a little later, when he succumbs to 

 the mayfly, and to men too who would at once 

 exclaim at the unfairness of estimating the 

 behaviour of a trout when caught on a fly during, 

 or just after, his spawning season. I can never 

 forget my first experience in this way. A 

 promising rise had attracted my attention, and 

 a small red tag which fell above it was taken 

 immediately, by a fish too which felt heavier 

 than the half pound grayling which had been 

 bobbing up at intervals and teasing my fly. 

 He felt double the weight as he moved away, 

 but there was no life, no rush ; nothing but a 

 sluggish wobbling under water occurred, and 

 all the undervaluations of grayling fishing ran 

 through my mind while reeling in something 

 as lifeless as motionless as a played out bream. 

 Netted and upset upon the grass it looked dark 

 and slimy, and it was with almost dismay that 

 I slowly recognised it was a trout. So 

 uncanny was its appearance that even unhooking 

 it was distasteful and when put back into the 

 water it ' regained its freedom with a sigh.' 



The fact is that trout are not so often seen 

 out of season. Grayling are: and are freely 

 taken more is the pity by anglers who ought 



