THE PUFF PISCA TORIAL. 207 



"THE ARTIFICIAL GRASSHOPPER. 



" THE SEASON for the Grasshopper Fishing is ARRIVED 

 for TROUT, and the Grayling will follow in quick succession. 



" This Artificial Bait, not generally known, has been in 

 use for Forty or Fifty Years, and anglers on the rivers Lugg 

 and Teme, in this locality, are well acquainted with its deadly 

 attractiveness when used for Grayling. 



" The bait was originally made for Grayling ONLY ; and 

 its work was considered to end there, but in using it for up- 

 wards of twenty years, I have found that nearly all fresh- 

 water fish can be taken with it, when made of different sizes 

 and shades of colour. 



" The fish do not nibble, but rush at the bait as a grey- 

 hound would throw at a hare, or like fish generally run at 

 any other Trolling bait. I have taken with it Trout, Gray- 

 ling, Perch (any quantity), Pike, Chub, Shad, Twaite, Dace, 

 Roach, Ruffs, Gudgeons, and Flounders. 



" The Artificial Grasshopper is a sink-and-draw bait, 

 equally good in PONDS as in Rivers, used near the bottom, in 

 the usual haunts of the FISH you REQUIRE. Sinking and 

 drawing UP and DOWN, at the rate of about 25 ups and 25 

 downs per minute, about 15 inches EACH DRAW OR LESS. 

 Anglers generally use a small bit of worm on the point of the 

 hook, or a Cadiz Grub for Trout. The natural Grasshopper 

 for Grayling, or a bit of Worm, or a gentle, they serve just to 

 hide the BIG HOOK which is intended to take the fish ; but 

 when the fish are well on their feed there requires no disguise 

 to this Artificial bait. Anglers that use the Artificial Grass- 

 hopper consider it a mountain or a mouse, i.e. one day every 

 fish seems eager to be the first to take it, and another day no 

 fish will look at it. Although essentially a Grayling bait, it 

 should only be used in EXTREME CASES. All that can be 

 said in its favour is, that the Angler will take a much greater 



