128 ANGLING. 



grayling frequently, in the more northern rivers, differs 

 much from that of a trout. He tumbles and rolls about 

 head over heels, and in a way that is often very trying, to 

 the hold of the hook particularly, as he is much softer in the 

 mouth than a trout. In the Hampshire rivers the grayling 

 play far stronger, and often run and jump in a surprising 

 manner, and they take longer to kill than a trout. Gray- 

 ling will often take the fly under water, rising so quietly 

 that you will scarcely see any rise or break of the water at 

 all. It is desirable, therefore, to watch the line narrowly, 

 and to strike whenever you think it stops or checks, and you 

 will now and then be surprised, although there is no break 

 in the water, to find a good grayling on the hook. For, as* 

 is often the case with trout, the big ones are very quiet risers. 

 All that has been said on fly fishing for trout may 

 be more or less applied to grayling, and you may use 

 two, and even three flies, more safely for grayling than 

 you can for trout. They are less of weed runners, 

 and, indeed, in their best season, there are much fewer 

 weeds to get into. I have found a red hackle, with a 

 green peacock harl body, and a short tag of bright red 

 floss silk, to be one of the best flies you can put over a 

 grayling, which, with a dark- winged olive dun for the first, 

 and a willow fly for the second drop, is about as good a 

 cast in October as you could put on the Teme and Lugg. 

 A Wickham's fancy, too, does well, particularly with a 

 landrail wing, and a silver bodied fly with blue hackle and 

 light wing. For the rest any fly which is on the water of 

 the dun species will prevail with the grayling. The gray- 

 ling when dainty will take a dry fly well, but the ordinary 

 method is to cast straight across, and let the fly sweep 

 down round till it straightens below you, when repeat the 

 cast. 



