SALMON FISHING 



that salmon fishing comes but once a year, and the 

 season is short. But it does not come every year, 

 for in some seasons it is a complete failure, and the 

 angler has his long journey, loss of time, and no 

 inconsiderable expense for nothing. But a true 

 sportsman never gets discouraged ; he returns to 

 fish his water next year with more courage than 

 ever, and a little bad luck only adds zest to the 

 sport when it comes his way again. A fisherman 

 will sometimes have a run of good luck in landing 

 for a time every fish that takes his fly, then he 

 may have a series of mishaps and lose a number 

 consecutively. Only to-day I received a letter from 

 a friend who is fishing on a noted salmon river in 

 Canada. This is what he says, in part : 



Yesterday I had the conceit taken out of me. You 

 will remember saying to me before I lefi:, I would 

 not kill all the fish that took the fly. Well, I hooked 

 four salmon yesterday, lost three, but killed a small fish 

 of eight and one-half pounds. I lost a large fish after 

 playing him for thirty minutes ; he was almost ready to 

 gaff", but he made another run and turned over; the line 

 slackened and the fly came home. I felt sure of killing 

 the fish, but it is never a certainty until the salmon is 

 gaffed and clubbed. 



There is no greater uncertainty than salmon 

 fishing, looking at it from beginning to end; but 



39 



