174 NOTES ON FISH AND FISHING. 



do in some rivers, but in March and April they rise more 

 freely than perhaps in any other months, and a tyro can 

 take them then in large quantities, especially the smaller 

 fish. But as they are more or less out of season during 

 the spring and summer months, July is quite early 

 enough to fish for them, when generally speaking trout- 

 ing is becoming slack. Till then, good angler, return to 

 the water the fish you may hap to take ! The proper 

 grayling season may be said to be from August to Decem- 

 ber inclusive, and it is not unfair to take them even in 

 January. Thus the fly fisherman can pursue his delicate 

 pastime all the year round, as the early trout, especially 

 in Devonshire, may be fished for as soon as February 

 sets in. As the winter comes on, the middle hours of 

 the day are the best for grayling fishing with fly, and 

 when the sun is shining between eleven and two you may 

 have capital sport in mid-December. Sir Humphrey, 

 who treats most excellently on the grayling and gray- 

 ling fishing, is not to be followed when he says that the 

 sport may be pursued at all times of the year. 



Put roughly — the flies that kill trout kill grayling, and 

 the same rules are to be observed in both branches of 

 fly-fishing. The various kinds of duns, and spinners, the 

 willow, the sedge or cinnamon fly, May flies, partridge 

 and woodcock hackles, and in winter black or pale gnats, 

 are all good ; but fishermen should not despise the 

 " local " flies, such, for instance, as the Derbyshire "bum- 

 ble." Mr. Pennell of course maintains that his three 

 typical trout flies, yellow, green, and brown, are all that 

 are required. As a rule your flies should all be made 

 on a smaller scale for grayling than for trout, and your 

 gut finer. Indeed you cannot fish too finely for grayling. 



