THE COMPLETE ANGLES. 109 



except in the spawning season. The haunts of large grayling are the 

 somewhat deep and slowly running tails of streams or pools, a few yards 

 before the formation of the rapid heads of other pools. 



The grayling is scientifically termed salmo tJiymallus, from a general 

 belief that it emits a smell similar to that of thyme. In my opinion, as 

 w r ell as in that of others, it faintly smells of cucumber. Dr. Fleming 

 (Brit. Animal.) calls this fish the grey salmon, and describes it as having 

 longitudinal dusky blue lines (some consider them grey, and hence its 

 name " gray-lines " abbreviated into " grayling ") and violet-coloured 

 dorsal fin barred with brown ; length from ten to eighteen inches ; head 

 obtuse, and the upper jaw longest. The rays of its dorsal fin are eighteen, 

 pectoral twelve, ventral eleven, and caudal nineteen. Its dorsal fin is 

 remarkably large, enabling it to rise to the surface of the water and sink 

 again with very great rapidity. It never jumps out of the water like 

 the trout ; arid is incapable of surmounting either natural or artificial 

 obstructions in the water, such as cascades or weirs. By striking its 

 immense dorsal fin downwards against the water, it raises itself rapidly 

 to the surface, and by striking the same fin upwards against the superin- 

 cumbent element, it causes itself to descend with stone-like velocity. The 

 grayling rivers are the Dove, Teme, Lug, Test (these are the best rivers), 

 Wye, both in Herefordshire and Derbyshire, Severn, Trent, Irvon, 

 Hidder, Wharf and Avon in Hampshire. Mr. Henry George, of Wor- 

 cester, says of the Teme, that it produces the finest grayling in Eng- 

 land. He states, "a Teme grayling, in the height of condition, in 

 October or November, when first taken out of the water, is one of the 

 handsomest and most symmetrical fish that rise at the fly in our beautiful 

 streams ; and if laid upon the hand, and looked at horizontally, presents 

 the most beautiful purple or violet hue from snout to tail. The snout is 

 sharp, and the eyes lozenge -shaped; this fish is hog-backed, and the 

 back is of a dark purple colour, with small dark square spots on the sides. 

 The under part of the lower jaw and belly touch the ground together ; 

 the latter is brilliantly white, with a narrow ledge or lacing of gold, 

 extending along each side, from the pectoral towards the ventral fin; 

 and the tail, and pectoral and ventral fins are of a beautiful purple. 

 The dorsal fin is very large, and a beautiful picture, covered with scarlet 

 waves and spots intermingled with purple. The little velvet [adipose] 

 fin on the back near the tail, is also dark purple, and the fish smells like 

 a cucumber." 



The grayling is a native of the north-eastern rivers of France, of 

 Switzerland, Bavaria, the Tyrol, the northern rivers of Italy, and of 

 many of the smaller rivers of the German states. It spawns in April 

 and early in May, and is in season in July, but not fully so until Sep- 

 tember. The finest grayling are caught in the winter and early spring 

 months. In the winter months, in clear frosty weather, when the water 

 is low, they will take small dark dun flies from eleven to two o'clock, 

 particularly if the sun be gently shining. In deep water at this season 

 they will take gentles. In the autumn months they will take small 

 artificial ant-flies, small brown and furnace hackles, the soldier palmer, 

 and the coch-y-bondhu ; also wasp-grubs, and the green grubs that are 



