LATE OCTOBER GRAYLING FISHING. 239 



a cobra and then dropped down again to move 

 forward. As it left a good distance between 

 itself and the bush I thought I could manage 

 something with the landing net by cutting off 

 its retreat, but although it was quite twenty 

 yards beyond the bush on the other side, and 

 I was barely ten on this, he made a dart back 

 like a trout and gained his undergrowth before 

 I had moved a few paces. 



Well, the grayling : they continued in view 

 all the time I finished tackling up, never actually 

 coming to the surface although it was easy to 

 see what they were thinking of. The lower one 

 looked up, rather than rose, at a Bradshaw's 

 Fancy which floated down over her. You 

 could see she was sorry to have missed it. The 

 second time too, she made a movement of 

 attraction. The next cast she took it lightly 

 in her lips and turned down. I had to play 

 the fish, or perhaps allow her to play me, right 

 through another man's water; but fortunately 

 met him in the process and explained the 

 position. I felt glad that he accepted the fish 

 (i Ib. 12 oz.) after netting it for me in the still 

 pool above the lock. 



Above this is the bend opposite the boat- 

 house, well reputed for its large bath-like pools 

 where a few good grayling are always rising at 

 intervals, but which are so constantly cast over 

 by anglers who put up their rods at the stile 

 that they are almost dry-fly-proof. 



At the time of my visit the river had enjoyed 

 a considerable period of rest; indeed, so far as 



