low it to trickle down the pebbly bottom, while he himself keeps pace with the flowing stream; the length of his rod will admit of his keeping sufficiently out of sight. Great delicacy in handling the rod is required, as well as a discriminating judgment to distinguish between a nibble and a hitch. As the baited hook is propelled downwards by the flowing water, it may, and does frequently, come in contact with unseen objects lying beneath its surface. In such cases the novice will get into trouble, and come off with the loss of a foot or so of his line; but the "old stager" will, like an experienced general, beat a retreat when danger threatens, draw back his line, and disengage his tackle from the hidden obstacle.

A very little practice will enable the worm-fisher to ascertain if the temporary stoppage be caused by an animate or inanimate object—that is, when the trout seek their food in an ordinary and every-day sort of manner; but it occasionally happens, as it does in fly-fishing, that they will toy and play antics while satisfying their appetites, in which case cunning and caution must be summoned in aid of the angler. When the fish run eagerly at the worm, and bolt off with it, they are only at play, and the purveyor of food, who balances the rod from the extremity of which the tit-bit dangles, will find to his discomfiture that the bait is minus a tail, and that he has missed his fish ; but if, on the other hand, the worm should be quietly arrested in its progress, and that after a minute's pause he should perceive that his line is being drawn up the stream by some invisible agency, he may book it as a certainty that a trout of a pound or so has hook and worm in his gullet. Under such

circumstances no quarter is to be shown. A check will remove all doubt, then a vigorous pull, and hey presto! the fish is quivering on the bank. It is at this" qwuittical kwisis,' as I once heard a lisping booby say, that the judgment and skill of the angler must be called forth. I need not tell my more experienced readers that the largest fish are invariably to be found in the currents and eddies at the foot of scours, as well as in the deep holes and pools at the angles and corners of winding rivers, and under overhanging bushes. Here the worm, properly worked by a practical hand, will be found never to fail; and as such spots in miniature are to be found in every bubbling brook and narrow stream in most of our counties, we confidently recommend the experiment as one which must ensure success in every locality where natural obstacles, such as briars, logs, overtopping bushes, and trees, prevent the use of the flyrod. We have committed such havoc in this way, that were we the owner of any portion of a stream or river running through our property, we should take the liberty of examining the tackle of any applicant for leave to fish our water ere we gave him leave to exercise his skill at our

expense.

By way of winding up our observations on this branch of trout-taking, we will merely add, in the shape of a hint, that if the worm-fisher be prevented from following up his favourite amusement by reason of continued dry weather, he must look to his scoured bait if he wish to keep the worms in health and fit for active service, as the military phrase goes.

In this case, he must cut a few strips of grass and soil, about an inch thick, from the edgings of cuttings and drains in meadows, and then empty his garden-pot of all the scouring remedies, and allow the worms

to feed a day and a night, at the expiration of which time they will have been filled out in due aldermanic trim, and then they must be subjected to the cleansing system once more, and restored to the state in which trout love to look upon them.

One precaution we must beg leave to add, which is, that the angler must not withdraw the bait too suddenly from the liquid element, for the trout and the worm may be compared to a cat and a mouse. We have watched these fish gloating on their prey which they have only taken in the act of its being withdrawn-nay, we have known, and seen them, to leap out of the water after a worm; so that a little vigilance and tact are necessary.

It is time, now, to return to fly-fishing, for it is to be presumed that we have all of us our rods and tackle duly prepared for the forthcoming campaign, and let us hope that we have some three or four months good work, as well as amusement, cut out for us. Look to your flybooks, brother piscators, and if you are short of palmers, caperers, drakes, and grannams, go to Mr. Jones, and he will supply you with talismans wherewith to conjure the trout into your creels. Take our word for it, at the same time, that we all of us have too many flies; the neophite, in particular, is so dazzled and bewildered by the beauty and variety of the countless varieties exhibited in their trays by the flymakers, that, under the influence of l'embarras du choix, he crams his fly-book with specimens of ephemera that for the most part must be useless to him. Success depends more upon a judicious selection than on a variety.

Innumerable are the works, treatises, and newspaper contributions on fly-fishing and fly-making. Of all the compilations which we have seen, Mr. Ronald's is the most simple, clear, and comprehensive, and consequently the best. His instructions for fly-fishing are excellent, and the specimens, in the way of illustration, admirable. His method of tying a palmer is beyond compare superior to that of all his compeers. We all know, or ought to know, that a palmer is intended to represent a caterpillar; now the mis-shapen dumpy mass of hackle, harl, and tinsel, and sold as a palmer, bears as much affinity to a caterpillar as little Keeley to Lord Canterbury, and no two specimens of the genus homo can be more dissimilar. Mr. Ronald uses two hooks, the bend of one being attached to the shank of the other; here he obtains length, and a two-fold chance of securing the prize; and a palmer made by his hands is ne plus ultra of verisimilitude-a perfect caterpillar from barb

to shank.

In some countries fly-fishing commences at an early period. For such localities early flies must be used; for instance, the March Brown, the Blue Dun, the Red Palmer, and the Brown Drake.

The March Brown is a good fly, and will take for at least six weeks; it is thus tied-body, squirrel's fur; a red hackle wound round for legs, and strips of a pheasant's pinion for wings; use yellow silk, waxed, for tying.

Blue Upright, or Dun.-The body must be slim, of blue fur, whipped on with yellow silk; legs, a smoky-blue hackle; tail, the same; wing, a starling's wing.

Red Palmer vide Ronald's.

Brown Drake.-Body, a strand of a cock-pheasant's tail, ribbed up

with yellow silk slightly waxed; tail, a strip of hen-pheasant or grouse; hackle for legs, grouse or wren's tail; wing, grouse or hen-pheasant's tail. This fly to be tied smaller for April.

The Yellow Dun, or Upright.-This is another taking fly in March; body, fine, of pale yellow silk; legs, a yellowish-blue hackle; tail, the same; wing, the yellow feather of a thrush.

These flies will take in March and April, and we have occasionally used the Iron Blue at this period, although it may be found more killing on a cold windy day when the season has been more advanced. We all have our hobbies, as the old woman on the broomstick says; and upon the same principle we have our pet fly, and the Iron Blue is the one we affection the most. We have committed more murder in the trout way of business with this and the Sand-fly than with all our well-stored book put together. It is in truth a slaughterer if properly made-here is the secret body, rather small, of rat's fur, ribbed up with fine yellow silk; legs, a reddish-blue hackle; tail, two minute fibres of red hackle; wing, from the skitty's wing. The skitty is a small water-rail.

The Grannam, which is a favourite with many Waltonians, but of which we do not entertain so high an opinion, is thus made: body, green silk and hare's ear; wing, from the wing of a partridge.

The Wren-tail is a good little fly; the body should be of gold-coloured silk (vide Opera House for the proper shade), and the feather of the wren's tail as hackle and legs; this fly has not any wings.

The Grouse Hackle, another good fly, is made in the same way, only with its own feathers.

The Hare's Ear is another very captivating spring fly; but if we were to give the whole list on our catalogue, with instructions to boot for tying them, we should be infringing on the prerogative of the legitimate fly-makers, and deprive them of that profit which they are so justly entitled to. We do not set ourselves up in opposition to the artists of the metropolis, and we hope Mr. Jones and Mr. Bowness will forgive us for having laid before our readers the two or three samples adduced. The flies quoted we tie as described, and we have found the combinations of silk, fur, and feather, to answer passing well. We may be wrong, but until we can be taught a better plan we shall religiously adhere to our own system. With Mr. Ronald's book, and Mr. Jones, of Jermyn-street, to work up the author's meaning, the fly-fisher who wishes to perfect himself in the art can never be at a loss.

We have shown how fish are to be caught, and the next best thing to catching a trout is to know how to dress it. The fly-fisher at his little box by the water side, or in country quarters at a village inn, if he have not a smattering of cookery, will have the mortification of seeing his speckled delicacies spoiled by some female botcher-the trout will either be boiled to rags or fried in grease.

A large trout, when properly boiled, is very pretty picking. Do not soak in water, as many greenhorns do, before it is consigned to the fishkettle. Clean and gut the fish thoroughly, and pump upon him for about five minutes; then plunge him into boiling water, in which you have previously thrown a handful of salt. While the bubbling process is going on prepare some rich melted butter liquidized with cream, into which put some chopped parsley and chives, and a table-spoonful of

French vinegar; add pepper and salt to taste. sauce we know of for boiled trout.

This is the very best

But to our poor thinking a trout never eats so well as when broiled. Do not wash them, but rub them dry after cleansing them; anoint the fish with the best salad oil, fold them in paper, and lay them on the gridiron at a respectable distance from the fire, which should be charcoal or wood ashes. While they are passing this culinary ordeal, burn about a quarter of fresh butter in a well tinned saucepan ; when we say burn, we mean melt the butter (alone) until it ceases to hiss and fizz, and the creamy froth subsides; the butter will then be of a fine gold colour; add about a spoonful-and-a-half or two spoonsful of French vinegar, three or four eschalottes or (Anglicè) shalots, with pepper and salt to taste. This is the most relishing accompaniment extant; and if the reader does not lick his fingers, and invoke a blessing on our bald pate for this hint, there is no gratitude extant.

The crudite and accomplished Mrs. Glasse, in her comprehensive instructions to the uninstructed as to the modus operandi for dressing a hare, naïvely remarks in her imperishable work, "first catch your hare." We hope she will pardon us for the plagiarism when we say, first catch your pike," which for the gourmand's sake we hope may weigh from eight to ten pounds.

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Having well cleaned, emptied, and washed the fish, preserve the roe and liver; take a French roll, cut off the crust, and steep the crumb in half a pint of good cream; shred finely some suet (marrow is better), and chop some parsley, lemon thyme, knotted marjorum, common thyme, and lemon peel, and one anchovy; then chop the liver and roe of the pike (previously boiled), and mix the whole with the crumb of roll soaked in cream, and the yolks of two eggs to bind it together, add pepper and salt to taste. Stuff the pike, sew up his belly, strew him with raspings, with here and there some butter, and put plenty of the latter article in the dish to baste him with. Send your fish to your baker, and while he (the pike-not the baker) is passing through the ordeal of the oven, prepare at home a good gravy, thickened with a very little essence of anchovy and the breast and entrails of a woodcock (if you can conveniently spare the delicacy) pounded in a mortar. N.B. A couple of dozen of oysters chopped up and mixed with the stuffing are a great improvement. The pike when dressed in this way is an epicurean morceau, which some sceptics have stigmatized as an unpalatable fish. This sweeping censure we opine has arisen from their not knowing how it should be carved. Here is the secret-the under part of the pike only is worth eating. There is a brown horizontal line intersecting the pike; higher than this the fish-slice should never venture, all above and on the back being full of forked bones, and fit only for the curious in picking. The under part, by far the richest and best, is free from this annoyance, and with the aforesaid pudding and gravy is very palatable and affords very pretty picking. But fearing our readers may tax us with being a disciple of Dr. Kitchener rather than of old Izaak Walton, we will conclude our gastronomic hints with this valediction-" May good digestion wait on appetite, and health on both."

T.

ON THE DUTIES OF AN UMPIRE IN COURSING, &c.

BY E. JEFFRIES ESDAILE.

Perhaps there is not throughout the sporting world a more difficult task to undertake than to find a man with the necessary qualifications to act as umpire in the case of greyhounds running for money to expect to meet with one combining all the qualities called for, would be absolute folly; and the best and wisest way is to make up your mind that such a character never appeared, and thus avoid disappointment.

Amongst the men who attend coursing meetings professionally, one cannot help being struck with the weight that certain points in a course have on their respective judgments: thus, one man will put a much higher importance than another in the run up; one, in the racing qualities of a dog; another, in close running; and some, in the fact of killing. I don't mean to infer that any of these qualities will, in a man chosen to decide at public meetings, so far press on his judgment as often to lead to palpable mistakes; but that each will severally, as it may happen, obtrude itself on his observation during a course; and I very much doubt whether, if two umpires were to act, their decisions would not be oftener at variance than might be expected, from this sole circumstance.

Of the qualifications of a judge, honesty, judgment, and good riding come first and foremost. Separately they are to be found without difficulty; combined in one individual, rarely-if ever. On the first named acquirement I shall not dwell, for without honesty all falls to the ground; but turn to the two others, Coursing is followed on open downs-decidedly all the best is; and it may seem, to gallop after greyhounds under such circumstances, a thing of no great merit; in fact, that any body could. But no, it is not so. Many men cannot gallop a horse; and amongst those that can, how many ride rather away from the dogs than with them! Remember, everything is rapid and momentary, and at once. A hare when first started will often appear to betray an indifference as to her whereabouts, a seeming uncertainty to what point she will go; and it is not until she finds herself hotly pursued that her destination is resolved on. Now it is that the umpire is enabled to show that he is the master of his business, for by perceiving the drift of the hare, he judges the direction the course will take, and rides accordingly; and so manages, that it always appears to bear towards him. The better the hare, and the better the dogs, the casier for him to determine; for if the former runs weakly, speed will not show itself, and the close running weed of a dog will win; and so, if the hare is so strong as to defy being turned, no horse can live the pace. But I should say no two all-aged good greyhounds will suffer this contingency to happen; though it may occasionally to puppies. It is not by any means necessary a man should see always the end of a course; whenever he finds himself satisfied, he will pull up. The chief difficulty in deciding arises from the different manner in which dogs will run one day from another, the nature of the ground gone over, and the stoutness or weakness of the hare affecting them accordingly; and this uncertainty it is that encourages people to enter such bad dogs as are sometimes seen in the slips, and to depend more on the chances