THE GREYLING. G7 



the roe of other kinds of fish. Walton says, " Of grubs for grey- 

 ling, the ash-grab, which is plump, milk-white, bent round from 

 head to tail, and exceedingly tender, with a round head ; or the 

 dock-worm, or grub of a pale yellow, longer, lanker, and tougher 

 than the other, with rows of feet all down his belly, and a red head 

 also, are the best I say for greyling, because although a trout will 

 take both these, and the ash-grub especially, yet he does not do it 

 so freely as the other, > and I have usually taken ten greylings for 

 one trout with that bait ; though if a trout come, I have observed 

 that he is commonly a very good one." 



The best months for angling for greyling are September, Oc- 

 tober, and November. The larger kinds of this fish are partial to 

 deep water, into ^ which there is a gentle stream running. The 

 smaller ones, which frequent the shallows and streams, may be 

 readily taken with the fly, but those in deep pools are easier caught 

 with the worm or maggot. The bait should lie close to the ground; 

 and when a fish is hooked, great care must be taken in killing him, 

 for he has a very tender mouth from which he often slips his hold. 

 Some anglers, in fishing for the greyling in still water, throw in a 

 few maggots before commencing, with a view of drawing the fish 

 together. Cabbage-grubs, grasshoppers, and lob-baits, are all suit- 

 able to the tastes of the greyling. 



The following dialogue on this fish, by Walton, is very charac- 

 teristic of both the fisher and the fish. 



" Pise. Why, then, by what you say, I dare venture to assure you 

 it is a greyling, who is one of the deadest-hearted fish in the world, 

 and the bigger he is, the more easily taken. Look you, now you 

 see him plain ; I told you what he was ; bring hither that landing- 

 net, boy ; and now, sir, he is your own ; and, believe me, a good 

 one, sixteen inches long I warrant him ; I have taken none such 

 this vear. 



" VIAT. I never saw a greyling before look so black. 



cc Pise. Did you not ? why, then, let me tell you that you never 

 saw one before in right season ; for then a greyling is very black 

 about his head, gills, and down his back, and has his belly of a 

 dark gray, dappled with very black spots, as you see this is ; and I 

 am apt to conclude that from thence he derives his name of 

 Umber. Though, I must tell you, this fish is past his prime, and 

 begins to decline, and was in better season at Christmas than he is 

 now. But move on, for it grows towards dinner-time ; and there 

 is a very grea,t and fine stream below, where we are almost sure of 

 a good fish. 



" VIAT. Let him come, I'll try a fall with him ; but I had thought 

 that the greyling had been always in season with the trout, and 

 had come in and gone out with him. 



"Pise. Oh no ! assure yourselves, a greyling is a winter fish, but 

 such _ a one as would deceive any but such as do know him very 

 well indeed ; for his flesh, even in his worst season, is so firm, and 

 will so easily carve, that, in plain truth, he is very good meat at all 



