308 THE COMPLETE ANGLER, PART II. 



that great stone on the other side, 'tis ten to one a good 

 Trout gives you the meeting. 



Viat. I have him now : but he is gone down towards 

 the bottom. I cannot see what he is, yet he should be a 

 good fish by his weight ; but he makes no great stir. 



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

 assure you 'tis a Grayling, who is one of the deadest- 

 hearted fishes 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 year. 



Viat. I never saw a Grayling before look so black. 



Pise. Did you not? why then let me tell you, that you 

 nerer saw one before in right season ; for then a Grayling 

 is very black about his head, gills, and down his back ; 

 and has his belly of a dark grey, dappled with 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 great and fine stream below, under that rock 

 that fills the deepest pool in all the river, where you are 

 almost sure of a good fish. 



Viat. Let him come, I'll try a fall with him. But I had 

 thought that the Grayling had been always in season with 

 the Trout, and had come in and gone out with him. 



Pise. Oh no ! assure yourself a Grayling is a winter- 

 fish ; but such a one as would deceive any but such as 

 know him very well indeed ; for his flesh, even in his worst 

 season, is so firm, and will so easily calver, that in plain 

 truth he is very good meat at all times : but in his perfect 

 eason (which, by the way, none but ih overgrown Gray- 



