GRUB FISHING FOR GRAYLING. 99 



of hooked threaded gentles, etc., with as much avidity 

 as an eel will worsted threaded worms. The best time 

 for grub-fishing for grayling is from September to Feb- 

 uary, and the most severe weather is often the best for 

 sport. 



One of the brightest angling remembrances our mem- 

 ory retains, was an excursion after the grayling-time of 

 year, in December Christmas-eve, in fact water and 

 locality, the Derbyshire Wye, near Ambergate. Our 

 party consisted of three rods; the morning was frosty, 

 dry, and clear, the air deliciously pure and exhilarating, 

 and the usually yielding turf was sufficiently hard to 

 considerably increase our powers of locomotion. In the 

 midst of the whitened landscape, the river flowed as 

 tranquilly as on a long summer's day. We had arrived, 

 fitted out for grub and hopper fishing; and with a favor- 

 able prospect of sport we set to work. The fish proved 

 in excellent condition, and in feeding humor, and our 

 humor was, therefore, speedily excellent, notwithstand- 

 ing several losses of unusually heavy or subtle quarry. 

 The "permit" being well-nigh boundless, we wandered 

 far away from our starting point, and by the middle of 

 the afternoon had left our quarters and luncheon miles 

 behind, and when we assembled for a smoke and a chat, 

 each creel was found to be quite respectably weighted. 

 The fish, as is rarely the case when the water is below a 

 certain temperature, had continued to feed throughout 

 the fore and afternoon, and as there had as yet been no 

 indication of their "knocking" off, we resumed our 

 diversion, and before long had filled our panniers. 



As the winter's sun had long sunk to rest, we began to 

 think of retracing our steps; but before having described 

 a third of the distance that lay before us, one of the 

 party, who was, by-the-way, a bit of an invalid, suddenly 

 discovered himself to be remarkably hungry. The third 

 rodster, being an American tourist, took upon himself 



