Striking, Playing, and Landing 119 



to the bottom, where it may become entangled or 

 broken among sharp rocks, as a heavy one. The 

 risk of letting up on the strain is often made 

 manifest by the hook dropping out of the mouth 

 when the fish is gaffed and the line slackened. 

 Unless the hook is deeply embedded in the tis- 

 sues or is close to some of the bones of the head, it 

 is apt to work loose in the course of a protracted 

 struggle, which often brings about changes in its 

 position and in the direction of the pull against 

 it, and while it may hold if kept taut, an instant's 

 let-up will enable the fish to eject it. It should 

 always be borne in mind that the longer the fish 

 remains in the water the more the chances of 

 getting him out of it are lessening, that wherever 

 practicable as heavy a strain should be put on 

 him as is regarded safe for the tackle, and that it 

 is correct to assume every movement of the fish 

 to be hostile to the interests of the angler and 

 therefore to be opposed on principle. It is a good 

 idea, when it can be done, to get a salmon into a 

 still pool or eddy when he begins to show signs 

 of relenting. He is quite likely to relax his 

 efforts to escape when coaxed out of the current, 

 and I know several places of this kind in different 

 rivers which, when reached by salmon, hooked 



