24 BRITISH SPORTING FISHES. 



though a warm, dull day will keep the fish feeding" 

 from light till dark. Midday yields the best fishing 

 in winter. Upon one occasion, after fishing fly 

 all day for four brace of fish, worm was tried at 

 dusk. Precisely the same number was basketed 

 the last quarter of an hour by far the best fish 

 of the day. This is another illustration of the 

 uncertainty of sport. 



The grayling angler is either a fly-fisher, or 

 he practises bottom-fishing. The former uses a 

 whole host of flies, the latter worms, gentles, and 

 grasshoppers. An extensive knowledge of the 

 habits of the fish is needed to practise either 

 successfully, as both have been elevated almost 

 to the level of a fine art. In worm fishing 

 some anglers fish with a fixed float, others with a 

 sliding one. In the latter case the depth need 

 not be continually changed, as the worm will 

 keep on or near the bottom. The edges and 

 eddies of streams should be carefully tried, as 

 also pools and " draws." Grasshopper-fishing is 

 just as deadly in certain rivers as it is un- 

 successful in others. The Teme and Swale, 

 respectively, give practical illustration of this re- 

 markable fact. The artificial " grasshopper " (the 

 barb being covered with a gentle or two) is cast 

 into streams, eddies, and deep water, and as soon 

 as it has sunk to the bottom it is raised a few 



