THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 63 



man lies in his choice of flies. For example : do you not 

 remember, last summer, when you accompanied me to the 

 Grange, that Mr. Holmes, the rector, killed nearly as 

 many trout as the rest of the party altogether ; and when 

 grayling fishing, in October, he actually filled his basket, 

 whilst the rest of us could scarcely take a fish ? Then, 

 again, I believe you heard the story of Mr. Musters, in 

 the preserved waters of his friend, near Uxbridge. There 

 was a trout of six pounds in a hole, which the keepers of 

 the owner of the domain had long tried to take, but they 

 had always failed in their attempts. Mr. Musters came 

 down from London for the purpose, choosing a favour- 

 able day, took the fish at the third throw, and gave the 

 keepers a guinea." 



" Pray, sir," inquired Frank, " which do you consider 

 to be the best rivers for grayling ? " 



" The Dove and the Trent," replied Mr. Egerton, " are, 

 I believe, about the best ; and the Teme, which runs 

 through Herefordshire and Shropshire. In this river, 

 near Ludlow, was caught the largest grayling ever seen 

 in England ; it measured half a yard in length, and 

 weighed four pounds six ounces, which is considered a 

 prodigious size and weight for this species of fish. By- 

 the-by, I can tell you an anecdote relating to this river, 

 which is highly complimentary to the pursuit of fishing, 

 associated as it is with a love of rural scenery (in which 

 that country abounds), and the enjoyment of the beauties 

 of nature. The aiitumnal months are best suited to this 

 stream ; and it happened that General Tarleton, after 

 having revelled in the pleasures and luxuries of a London 

 season, retired to the village of Leintwardine, about nine 

 miles from Ludlow, for the purpose of fishing for grayling 

 in the Teme. He had excellent sport ; and when he left 

 the small inn at which he had sojourned for a month, he 

 wrote the following postscript to the landlord's bill : ' I 

 voluntarily add the sum of twenty pounds to the amount 

 of this bill ; being not only an acknowledgment of its 

 very moderate charges, but in testimony of the fact that 

 the month which I have passed in the village of Leint- 

 wardine has been the happiest that I have hitherto 

 passed.'" 



There is one practice of the fisherman in which Frank 

 Raby was desirous to excel, and this was the dexterous 

 throwing of the casting-net, at which Perren, the head 



