238 LATE OCTOBER GRAYLING FISHING. 



gut. I can answer for their length while as 

 for their other quality they seemed finer than 

 any I have ever used. I had left everything 

 to be put together at the bank side, with the 

 exception of damping the points. 



After breakfast I started out under a misty 

 but cloudless sky. The sun, which shone out 

 early in the forenoon, lasted until two o'clock 

 and even reappeared at teatime. I crossed the 

 deep lock and passed up the private water, in 

 which a man on the bank pointed out a jack 

 of perhaps nine pounds lying in full view just 

 below a weed bed. I asked about the wiring 

 process, but he adroitly changed the subject 

 owing to modesty in the matter of expert 

 knowledge. 



Above this is the island or peninsula opposite 

 the lawn that fronts the large open pool. Two 

 or more grayling were rising with that freedom 

 which comes from the thought that they are out 

 of casting distance from this side and are quite 

 protected by overhanging garden bushes on the 

 other. Then the river narrows and at our 

 opening stile the opposite bank is reachable. 

 While sitting a few yards back I saw two 

 grayling in the faster water, each of them 

 seemingly poised for a venture on the surface, 

 so continued threading my line through the rod 

 rings with one eye upon their movements. 



My attention was soon distracted by the very 

 prettiest weasel which slipped out of a large 

 thorn bush and peered round the neighbourhood. 

 It stood up, lengthened its body out almost like 



