178 NOTES ON FISH AND FISHING. 



courage, the grayling is yet a sturdy and mettlesome 

 fish — a foeman worthy of our steel." Mr. Eonalds quotes 

 Bainbridge, and evidently agrees with him : " Most 

 writers in treating of this fish have stated that it struggles 

 but for a very short time, and is, therefore, productive of 

 little diversion, but the contrary is not unfrequently the 

 case;" and further Mr. Ronalds says, " He is an excellent 

 fish for sport." Mr. Francis speaks disparagingly of 

 grayling, thus : " Though now and then one will fight 

 boldly and well, too often they behave as a trout might 

 be imagined to do if he had been drinking success to the 

 May fly rather too freely." 



Here, then, is a pretty good mixture of opinion. My 

 own feeling and experience is that he is but a "moderate" 

 fighter, not to be compared with the trout or the barbel, 

 or (if it is lawful parvis componere magna) , for his size, the 

 tiny gudgeon. He makes a few strongish dashes which 

 remind me of the action of the bream when first hooked, 

 but, as a rule, he soon gives up the struggle ; while some- 

 times it pleases him to hang almost like a dead weight on 

 your line, or rather like an eel, to pull backwards, i. e. 

 tail first. 



A good day's grayling fishing is, however, one of the 

 most enjoyable day's fishing we can have. 



No little difference of opinion again exists on the edible 

 virtues of Salmo ihymallus. As grayling do not vary 

 to any great extent in their form and colouring in different 

 rivers, so there is no very great difference in their flavour. 

 They are all " much of a muchness," be that muchness 

 good, bad, or indifferent. St. Ambrose, it is evident from 

 what has been recorded of him, considered a grayling 

 prime eating for " miserable sinners ; " and Father 



