34 



stream when the water is thick, as the fish cannot then see the 

 bait. I have often caught Grayling two feet from the bottom, 

 when the water has been clear. It is well known that owing to 

 the position of the eyes in the head of Grayling, they see better 

 above them than below them. Ton should not fish, therefore, 

 on the bottom but a few inches above it. As a general rule, 

 however, whether the water be clear or coloured, if you fish 

 about two inches from the bottom you will be about right ; but 

 you must throw some ground bait in. If you fish with grubs 

 of any kind, throw a few gentles in, not many at a time, but a 

 few often. If you fish with the worm, you must throw a few 

 in, cut very small. The dew or lob worm is the best for ground 

 baiting, generally speaking ; but for Grayling fishing I prefer 

 a few small worms, or cockspurs (the same as I have recom- 

 mended to put on the hook) cut in two. I have found this to 

 be the most enticing ground bait for Grayling. Do not mix 

 your ground bait with anything. AU you have to do is to 

 throw it four or five yards above where you intend to fish. 

 Put your hook in at the head of a well scoured cockspur, and 

 run it carefully tiU within a quarter inch of the tail. "When 

 a worm is put on well, it will writhe as if there is no hook 

 in it; the better you put the worm on the more likely 

 you are to catch fish. When you fish a quick stream always 

 cast your line a little above, else your bait will not get down 

 soon enough to the bottom, so that you may miss the best part 

 of the swim. Let your float swim as still as possible, giving it 

 line from your reel, taking a swim of ten or fifteen yards. 

 When you hook a G-rayling be not too rash with him, or you 

 will loose him. As I have said before his mouth is tender, and 

 you must be very careful. When fishing with the worm in 

 this style, you must not be surprised to find a Dace or a Trout pay 

 you a visit now and then ; but whether you will be disgusted 

 with such visits I cannot say. I remember seeing a real Gray- 

 ling fisher angle in the above style. The first worm he put on 

 killed a Grayling about a pound weight. I said, " you have 

 made a good start." "Tes," says he, "this will do very well 



