160 THE SCIENTIFIC ANGLER. 



as we then remarked. " Every fish we take this day will 

 be hooked similarly," coolly prognosticated our friend. 

 At the time we confess to having been rather sceptical 

 as to the likelihood of this proving accurate, but the 

 result verified the prediction, for every fish that fell to 

 our steel upon that occasion was firmly hooked in the 

 tongue. Had the hold of the hook been slight in the 

 first instance, say near the external bordering of the 

 mouth, we were assured that our take would have been 

 diminished, as this would have indicated that the fish 

 were not in a feeding mood, and would therefore close 

 upon the bait in a faint-hearted manner. The same is 

 exemplified in fly-fishing, though perhaps not in a degree 

 so conspicuously marked. The first fish indicates, as 

 a rule, the temporary state of the whole of his fellows, 

 whether hunger-bitten or eager, or fastidious and in- 

 different. 



In striking a grayling, it behooves the rodster to be 

 extremely careful, as not only is the fish excessively deli- 

 cate and tender-skinned about the mouth, but the tackle, 

 being finer, is less calculated to sustain any sudden 

 wrench. This is not the case with larger quarry; a few 

 weeks', or even days' lake trouting, will put out the hand 

 for fine grayling fishing for some length of time. What 

 we have always found a safe antidote in these cases is to 

 carefully keep a taut line, and immediately a fish rises to 

 give a forward motion of the rod a foot or so. The 

 downward action of the line thus eased, has the effect of 

 sending in the little delicate hook without the most re- 

 mote chance of danger. This may appear incredible in 

 theory, but we can answer for its efficiency in practice. 

 In rapid stream fishing a modification of the usual twist 

 of the wrist may be given in the case of the grayling, 

 where rapidity is the essential point; the twist here re- 

 ferred to should describe a downward direction, as when 

 this is done the first action of the rod tip is directly 



