winter in high northern latitudes, streams under the ice may retain a temperature not much lower than some of the Alpine sources. I have seen grayling in Carniola, in a source not quite 50°; and as, in large bodies of water, the deepest part, in frost, is generally the warmest—about 40°, the temperature at which water is heaviest, I see no reason why grayling may not be habituated to such a temperature-coolness being generally favourable to their existence. But see, the fog which had filled the valley and hid the mountains from our sight is clearing away, and I fear it will be a hot day. sun becomes too bright is the fishing in such a day as this. As soon as the fog is fairly off, the water flies will begin to appear, and fish to sport.

Before the

best time for

PHYS.-I see the fog has already disappeared from the deep water in the meadow, where I suppose the warmth of the air from the considerable mass of the water is greater; and which is further removed from the hills sending down currents of cold air, from the mixture of which with the moist warm air above the river this phenomenon is produced.

I see some yellow flies beginning to come out; they have already felt the influence of the warm air: and look! a fish has just risen opposite that bank, and has risen again: let us prepare our tackle.

POIET.-What flies shall we employ.

HAL.-I recommend at least three; for the grayling lies deeper and is not so shy a fish as the trout; and, provided your link is fine, is not apt to be scared by the cast of flies on the water. The fineness of the link and of the guts to which your flies are attached, is a most essential point, and the clearer the stream the finer should be the tackle. I have known good fishermen foiled by using a gut of ordinary thickness, though their fly was of the right size and colour. Very slender transparent gut of the colour of the water is one of the most important causes of success in grayling fishing. Let me see your hook: I will select a fine stretcher. Now, for the lowest fly, use a yellow-bodied fly, with red hackle for legs, and landrail's wing: for the second, a blue dun, with dun body; and for the highest, the claret coloured body, with blue wings;

and let your first dropper fly be about three feet from the stretcher and from the other dropper, and let the hanging link which attaches them be 33 inches long.

PHYS.-There are several fish rising: I shall throw at that opposite-he appears large.

HAL.-It is a trout and not a grayling.
PHYS.-How do you know?

HAL. By his mode of rising.

He is

lying at the top of the water, taking the flies as they sail down by him, which a grayling scarcely ever does. He rises rapidly from the bottom or middle of the water, on the contrary darting upwards, and having seized his fly, returns to his station. See, there a grayling has risen. I do not mean, however, that this habit is invariable; I have sometimes seen trout feed like grayling, and grayling like trout, but neither of these fish emits bubbles of air in rising, as dace and chub do.

PHYS.-I have one! He has taken my blue dun and must be a small one, for he plays with no vigour.

HAL.-He is about lbs.—a fish of two

years and a half old-very good for the table. I will land him if possible.

HAL.-This happens often with grayling: their mouths are tender, and unless the hook catches in the upper lip, which is rather thick, it is more than an equal chance that he escapes you.

PHYS.-Here, I have another, that has taken the stretcher, which being a larger hook, I hope he may be held. He is likewise a larger fish-but how oddly he spins! This, I suppose, must be owing to his large. back fin, by which the stream carries him

round. There he is: he has quite twisted my link; it would not be amiss to have swivels for this kind of fishing.

HAL. It is a fish in good season,-dark above, fair below, and weighs, I should suppose, about 14lb.

PHYS. As this is the first grayling I have seen of my own taking, I must measure, weigh, and examine him.

HAL.-We can do this hereafter. See, our fish barrel; he can be kept alive till a more convenient time of the day.

PHYS.-I am disposed to gratify my curiosity immediately; and I think to acquire