1-76 NOTES ON FISH AND FISHING. 



keep a sharp look out for this, and strike instantaneously. 

 The tails of deep pools are the best spots for big grayling, 

 but be content with moderate-sized fish, for the big fish 

 are not often taken with the fly. 



Grayling may be taken by dapping, and by most of the 

 insects natural and artificial used for trout at the top, in 

 the middle, or at the bottom of the water; but the 

 " grasshopper " practice is now the most popular because 

 the most efficacious, especially for taking the largest fish. 

 It is an artificial bait, and called the " grasshopper ; " I 

 suppose, on the lucus a non lucendo principle, because it 

 is not like a grasshopper in the faintest degree. It is 

 more like a caterpillar, but not much like that. It is 

 simply a " wadge " of various-coloured wool about 

 f in. in length bound round the shank of a hook, and 

 made to taper towards the tail. At the tail, i. e. on the 

 bend of the hook, you elaborate a bunch of gentles — as 

 many almost as you can get on — till the point of the hook 

 is almost covered. Tou use a moderately stout gut 

 bottom and small piece of quill, a quasi-floaty to guide 

 your eye as to the depth of your bait, and a fairly stiff 

 rod. Your " Grasshopper " you work on what is called 

 the " sinking and drawing " principle, i. e. you let it down 

 till it touches the bottom, and then keep raising it about 

 a foot and letting it sink again ; the stream, which must 

 not be too rapid, gently carrying your bait a little further 

 on each time. The bait thus "hops," and it has just 

 struck me that the inventor of it and the style of fishing 

 might have originally called it a " hopper," and that 

 some one afterwards added the " grass " in mere ignorance 

 or for the sake of euphony (?). Anyhow it is most 

 slaughtering tackle in the autumn and winter months. 



