THE PUFF PISCATORIAL. 209 
been so unreasonable to suppose that some good- 
natured friend might have mildly suggested to him 
the possibility of a connection in the mind of the 
irreverent, vulgar between Worcester grasshoppers 
and Jerusalem ponies. But not a bit of it! Mr. 
Allies speedily returns to the charge, only refreshed 
apparently by his previous efforts, and for the space 
of two years scatters his ‘hoppers’ broadcast over the 
verdant of the Field. Here is an example :— 
“My caution in your columns of last season as to not 
using the artificial grasshopper for taking grayling does not 
seem to beof any avail. Gentlemen anglers are even now, in 
the extreme lowness of our parched-up streams, taking grayling 
wholesale with these destructive baits, and thereby spoiling 
the choicest of all fly-fishers’ autumn and winter sport. I 
know, from the quantities of country orders for these baits, 
that mischief is brewing. Gentlemen, once more, let the gray- . 
ling be left for the fly-fisher, and dow’t tear these beautiful sport- 
ive fish from their native element neck and crop with these rough 
anglers’ contrivances.”"—Field, 27th August 1864. 
Now ts it not funny? Here is poor Mr. Allies, 
who has got to get his grasshoppers, like so many 
unmarriageable daughters, off his hands, and at the 
same time to maintain an elevated and pure standard 
of sporting morals in the midst of the first grayling 
county in the world. 
Well, grasshoppers are deadly things, no doubt, 
and Mr. Allies makes them; so far it is all plain 
sailing: but if the clubs won’t have them—forbid 
P 
