SUCCESS OF GENTLE STRIKING SHOWN. 53 



pool where we always killed fish, and where, from 

 an impending rock, I could plainly see the fly. I 

 gave the young man my rod, and desired him not 

 to strike until I o-ave him the word. He soon 

 had a rise ; I saw the fish and said, " Steady ! " 

 When I saw the fish take the fly — and he took it 

 well — and turn with it to descend, I said, very 

 quietly, " ]S[ow then ; strike gently." He did as 

 he was bade, and hooked the fish, saying, when 

 he had done so, " If I kill her, I'll nae strike 

 fiercely agen." I was confident, from the move- 

 ments of the fish, that it was firmly hooked, and 

 told him to play his prey boldly. He very easily 

 killed it, though it was a " black " grilse, tliat is, 

 not a fresh run one, of very large size, and, on 

 examination, we found it hooked through and 

 through beyond the hard cartilage at the angle 

 of the mouth. He was then convinced, and that 

 he might be thoroughly so, I allowed him, during 

 the day, to kill a couple more salmon, which he 

 did by gentle and somewhat slow striking. This 

 lesson to the lad was of use to myself, for I saw 

 demonstrated the folly of striking rouglily, by 

 the success in other hands attendant on adopting 

 the contrary method. 



Playing a Salmon. — Many a trout fly- 

 fisher is deterred from fishing for sahnon by the 



E 3 



