174 Bass, Pike, and Perch 



beautiful fish respond to his deftly cast flies, will 

 bear me out in the assertion that for courage, 

 finesse, and all the qualities that constitute a 

 true game-fish, the grayling is the equal of its con- 

 gener, the trout. 



In France it is known as ombre, in Germany 

 as asche, and in Norway as barren. Among 

 all English-speaking people it is the grayling, 

 though occasionally it is called umber in parts 

 of England. All of these names are somewhat 

 descriptive of its grayish, ashy, or bluish colora- 

 tion. Gliding along in clear, swift water it 

 seems, indeed, a gray shadow; but fresh out 

 of its native element it becomes a creature of 

 mother-of-pearl, so beautiful and varied are its 

 tints. 



The graceful outlines and beautifully-moulded 

 proportions of the grayling, together with the 

 satiny sheen and delicate coloration of her adorn- 

 ment, have always impressed me as essentially 

 feminine. The evanescent play of prismatic 

 hues on her shapely and rounded sides, when 

 fresh from the pure and crj^stal stream she loves 

 so well, reminds one of changeable silk shot with 

 all the colors of the rainbow. Her tall dorsal 

 fin, with its rose-colored spots, she waves as 



