190 FISHING WITH THE FLY. 



no, nor any other fish, before. It was not a ]arge fish ; 

 such luck rarely falls to the share of the beginner; and 

 in spite of what elderly gentlemen may say to the con- 

 trary, an ignorant countryman, with his sapling rod 

 and coarse tackle, never takes the largest fish nor the 

 greatest in quantity. Were it otherwise, sportsmen had 

 better turn louts, and tackle makers take to cutting 

 straight saplings in the woods. My companion, never- 

 theless, was not a little surprised at the vigorous rushes 

 the trout made to escape, but his line being strong and 

 rod stiff, he steadily reeled him in. Great was the 

 excitement ; his whole mind was devoted to shortening 

 the line, regardless of what was to be done next. We 

 had a darkey named Joe Avith us, to row the boat and 

 land the fish, and our luck having been bad during the 

 morning he was delighted with this turn of affairs, and 

 ready, net in hand, to do his duty. The fish was being 

 reeled up till but a few feet of the line remained below 

 the top, when with a shout of " land, Joe, land him !" 

 my companion suddenly lifted up his rod, carrying the 

 trout far above our heads. There it dangled, swaying 

 to and fro, bouncing and jumping, while the agonized 

 fisherman besought the darky to land him, and the 

 latter, reaching up as far as he could with the net, his 

 eyes starting out of his head with wonder at this novel 

 mode of proceeding, came far short of his object. Never 

 was seen such a sight ; the hopeless despair of my friend, 

 the eagerness of the darky, who fairly strove to climb 

 the rod as the fish danced about far out of reach. What 



