I must not omit to mention the gaff and the landing-net, most important parts of the angler's outfit. The former is best for large fish, under which it is much more difficult to get a net.
There is always a great controversy raging as to whether it is best to gaff "over" or "under," and the right place to accomplish the former is said by some authorities to be the back just at the shoulder. Personally I belong to those who gaff "under," and have always found it much easier than the other.
When a fish is brought close to the bank, sometimes only half or three-parts killed, he will generally make a dash for his life when he sees a murderous-looking steel instrument close to him, so it must be concealed from his view, and it is a good plan to have the gaff pretty deep in the water before he is brought up to it then striking under and drawing the gaff sharply forwards and upwards. I have landed some very heavy fish in this way, and scarcely ever missed one.
Once I gaffed a beautiful salmon of at least eighteen pounds, on the Usk, landed him triumphantly, and stood admiring him while the fly was taken out of his mouth. He seemed quite dead, but just as we turned away to what we hoped would be fresh conquests, with a vigorous flap of his tail, he managed to slide over into the river and was lost to view. I am afraid he was mortally wounded by the gaff, and must have died before long. This was a lesson to me to remove my fish to some distance from the water's edge and to make sure that they were really dead before leaving them. The net should be used for "red" or "black" fish, which must be returned to the river on account of their condition, with as little injury as possible.
Grayling are not usually considered as interesting to catch as salmon and trout, for, although they will sometimes make a desperate fight for life, they will only too often sink down to the bottom of the stream and remain there. They must be fished for with the same precautions against being seen which are used for trout, and with several flies on the cast, as they often move in shoals. They usually lie in the middle of the river, in its lower reaches towards the sea, and when these are broad, the angler is often compelled to wade to get the best chance at them. They are caught with the fly as well as worms and other bait. The cast should be made up-stream.
I must not forget to mention dry-fly fishing, which is particularly suitable for women. This form of angling is usually necessary in chalk streams, where trout will often refuse to be tempted by any other. The cast must be made up-stream so that the fly drops on the nose of the fish in a natural manner, and floats on the top of the water. The moment the fly gets wet it is useless, and must be dried by making two or three false casts in the air before returning to a real one on the stream. The fly must be worked with the greatest delicacy of touch, and allowed to float down with the current on the surface of the water.
COARSE FISH.
Lead for Spinning. Double Swivel.
The above title includes pike, perch, roach, dace, chub, bream, barbel, and tench, the last of which is very good eating, its fat being almost like that of the turtle. When the nobler varieties are not to be obtained, coarse fish are by no means to be despised, either for the table or for sporting purposes, and many a happy day may be spent on rivers and lakes at a time of year when perhaps neither salmon nor trout are available.