] 1 2 Fish Stories 



of the kind occurred, the fish making a clever dash the other 

 way, reaping feet and yards, despite my pressure on the 

 Hne, and forcing the not unwilhng conclusion that I had 

 hooked an unusual fish; indeed the veteran at the oars 

 whispered behind me, " Saints and sinners, but he's a corker ! 

 don't lose him ; easy with him ! " 



Up to this moment I had been struggling to my feet, then 

 turned, playing the fish, holding the rod well bent with one 

 hand, positive that I would lose it, but when my right hand 

 closed over the line, and for a moment I stopped the rush, 

 and experienced the strong vibrant thrill that comes at the 

 test, when the rod is proving its strength and elasticity, I 

 felt that I had the game, had it hooked strong and well. 



It was a true premonition, yet so fierce was the following 

 rush, so heavy the weight bearing on the line, so extraor- 

 dinary to me the power of the trout, that I could not be- 

 lieve it possible, and called for help, asking my oarsman 

 to back up on the line as, apparently, I could not move the 

 game, and having a very light enameled silk casting line, 

 and a single gut leader of the most delicate size, I did not 

 wish to take too many chances. So I reeled as the boat was 

 backed up, and made fifty feet of the one hundred and 

 fifty the fish had taken, and in fancied security played the 

 rainbow one hundred feet away. 



Now it came to the surface and rolled over, it was liter- 

 ally too big to jump; then it thrashed about, dashed from 

 side to side, plunged downward to rise and bear off, mak- 

 ing the resilient rod groan in spirit, putting it to the severest 

 test it had ever had, and almost forcing me to the conclusion 

 that it was outclassed by the unseen fish whose strength 

 and size could only be conjectured. 



There is such a thing as tearing out the jaw in a long 

 delayed fight. I had lost a fine thirty or more pound salmon 

 in this way two weeks before, so I pushed matters, took the 

 field and led the fighting; pressed it to conclusions, fought 

 when the trout rested, still fought when it fought, checked 



