ii8 The Atlantic Salmon 



Second, when the salmon jumps, and this is 

 almost invariably done after a quick turn up- 

 stream, which leaves a belly in the line, and the 

 salmon, in jumping, has to pull all this through 

 the water and against the current, making it 

 liable to part in any weak spot, especially when 

 the fish leaves the water. At the instant he 

 does so the point of the rod should be lowered 

 to ease the additional sudden strain, and as soon 

 as his leap is over the rod should be lifted and 

 the strain resumed. Frequently salmon are lost 

 in these jumps in spite of the angler, as he may 

 think the fish is running down and across stream, 

 and suddenly sees him in the air fifty or seventy- 

 five yards above where he thought him to be. 

 The object, then, is to get the great loop out of 

 the line as soon as possible and thus relieve it 

 from the heavy pressure of the current. This is 

 done by going as nearly as may be directly below 

 the fish, thus straightening out the dangerous 

 loop in the line. In cases of this kind a thick, 

 heavy line is at a great disadvantage as compared 

 with a light thin one, which offers so much less 

 resistance to the currents, and the Cuttyhunk 

 bass line spliced to the other will often result in 

 saving a fish, nor is such a line so likely to sink 



