AND HOW TO SECURE A FISH. 43 



which exhaust his strength, the nose may be got 

 fairly out of the water, the fish towed gently to the 

 side, and the landing net passed under him. From 

 the time of hooking the fish, if a large one, to the 

 time of landing, care must be had that the line 

 shall not be touched by the hand, excepting 

 under the just-mentioned circumstances ; all 

 should depend upon the pliability of the rod. In 

 case a landing net should not be at hand, the reel 

 may be stopped from running back, the rod stuck 

 up in the ground by the spike, and both hands 

 being disengaged, the fisherman may stoop down, 

 and grasp the fish firmly behind the gills. The 

 principal differences between trout and grayling 

 fishing are, that the latter requires a more delicate 

 hand, a quicker eye, and the use of smaller flies 

 upon the finest gut. The strike must be made 

 on the instant of the rise. The fish may be some- 

 times seen, if he be of a good size and the water 

 bright, a few inches before he gets up to the fly, 

 and the fisherman must strike immediately that 

 he does so, for his motion at the instant of seizure 

 is too rapid to be visible. When the fisherman 

 comes upon a favourable place for grayling, he 

 should recollect that this fish does not follow the 

 fly as the trout does, and should therefore allow 

 it to float down the stream in a natural way ; for 

 should a grayling be waiting for it, and it is 

 drawn away, c the fish will be disappointed of that 



