32 



Grrayliiig every month in the year bottom fishing. Thp best 

 baits for Grayling are cad-bait, straw-bait, gentles, wasp-grub, 

 worms and flies. I have caught them with all these baits. The 

 first bait they feed on after spawning, and the one they moat 

 prefer, if the water is clear, is the fly. Taking all seasons into 

 consideration the red worm or cockspur, and flies are decidedly 

 the best to fish with, perhaps the fly may be said to have the 

 preference. Q-rayling certainly rise readily at the fly and seem 

 to have a particular fancy for it. But if a first-rate fly fisher 

 and an equally good bottom fisher were to contest, I shoidd be 

 inclined to back the bottom fisher for the greatest weight and 

 the best fish. I, however, consider fly fishing the most delight- 

 ful mode of angling for Grrayling ; the style is pretty, neat and 

 clean, and when the rod is in skilful hands it is most exciting 

 and Amusing. 



The flies for Grayling fishing are very numerous — so numer- 

 ous that it would be impossible to describe them all. I could 

 not profess to provide the best fiies for every water in England, 

 but if any gentleman came to me I could give him as good flies 

 as can be got for fishing on those waters that I am acquainted 

 with. I have seen fly fishers quarrel like cocks about who had 

 the best fiies for Grayling. One would say I have proved mine 

 and caught so many brace, — the other would say the same ; and 

 yet the flies of each would be difierently made, and different in 

 colour. I once fished, by way of experiment, with a set of 

 four flies. Two were made very rough, and two were made as 

 nicely as flies could be made, and resembling as near as possible 

 the natural one on the water. "Well, I killed five brace of 

 Grayling with the two rough made ones, and only one single 

 fish with those that were made so neat and fine. This experi- 

 ment proved to me that fly fishers are more particular about 

 their flies than the fish are. 



FLT PISHING POE GEATLING. 



Tour rod should be twelve feet and a half long, and be made 



