the left hand, this may prevent the fish from reaching his harbour: if it should not, he will most likely twist the gut round roots, &c. and break away. To kill him, the nose must be kept up as much as possible; should he be very importunate and resolute, he may be lent a little more line now and then, but it must be promptly retaken with tremendous interest, and got up as short as possible. After various fruitless efforts to escape, which exhausts his strength, the nose may be got fairly out of the water, he may be towed gently to the side, and the landing net passed under him. From the time of hooking the fish, if a large one, to the time of landing, care must be had that the line shall not be touched by the hand, excepting under the just mentioned circumstances; all should depend upon the pliability of the rod. In case a landing net should not be at hand, the reel may be stopped from running back, the rod stuck up in up ̧in the ground by the spike, and both hands being disengaged, the fisherman may stoop down and grasp him firmly behind the gills. If a fish of less than half a pound is hooked fairly, he may be cautiously lifted out by the line, but should he begin to struggle in the least degree, he must be allowed to drop into the water, where he will be again under the influence of the pliable rod, when he must be towed up again and another effort made to secure him. The principal differences between Trout and Grayling Fishing are, that the latter requires a more delicate hand, a quicker eye, and the use of smaller flies upon the finest gut. The strike must be made on the instant of the rise. The fish may be sometimes seen, if he be of a good size and the water bright, a few inches before he gets up to the fly, and the fisherman must strike immediately that he does so, for his motion at the instant of seizure is too rapid to be visible. When the fisherman comes upon a favourable place for Grayling, he should recollect that this fish does not follow the fly as the Trout does, and should therefore allow it to float down the stream in a natural way; for should a Grayling be waiting for it, and it is drawn away, "the fish will be disappointed of that which it was the fisherman's intention to entertain him with." It must also be remarked here that the mouth of the Grayling is much more tender than that of the Trout, therefore much more care in landing is required; and a landing net is generally indispensable, especially where the banks are high, for the mouth will seldom bear his weight out of the water. CHAPTER IV. OF A SELECTION OF INSECTS, AND THEIR IMITATIONS, USED IN FLY FISHING. Flies, &c. used in March. Flies, &c. for April. For May. For June. For July. For August. For September. Palmers for the Season. It would much exceed the proper limits and purpose of a Fishing Book to enter upon the details by which even the Genera and Orders, to which every fly here spoken of belongs, are known to the Entomologist. Reference can easily be made, by means of the names placed on the pages opposite to the plates, to sources of abundant information on these points; but the names of some species and varieties of Ephemera mentioned, would in vain be sought for. All the vulgar names known to me of each insect are given for the purpose of assisting fishermen of various counties to recognize it. And the order in which they are placed, is that of the months in which they are used, as forming, perhaps, the most convenient arrangement for his purposes. OF A SELECTION OF INSECTS, ETC. 49 The term Dun appears to have been applied in a general sense to the different species of Ephemeridæ, in their first winged state, (except those of the largest size,) another term being added to designate each species, as the Blue Dun, Yellow Dun, &c. In like manner the term Spinner seems to have been applied as a general name for the final change or perfect state of the same insects, another name also being added to distinguish each species, as the Red Spinner, Great Red Spinner, &c. It may be here added, that the Imitations of the Palmers are, to the best of my knowledge and belief, new; and I beg leave to assure my brother Anglers, that they have proved very effective. The figures represent the insect in its medium size; it may be made and used either larger or smaller. It should also be stated that the length of the lives of the Ephemeridæ described below, is estimated by the time they lived in boxes. E |