134 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



had a powdered lawyer to do with my sport ? 

 Upon explanation, I found out that he alluded to 

 the numerous puffy white clouds above. Whether 

 the likeness of these to lawyers' wigs was appropriate 

 or not, I leave to those who are learned in similes 

 to determine ; but he certainly was right in his 

 main position. 



If your fish misses the fly in making his offer, 

 wait a while before you throw a second time ; and 

 if he rises at all, he will come more eagerly for this 

 delay. 1 When he returns to his seat, after the 

 unsuccessful sortie, he will say mentally (for thus do 

 fishes and novelists discourse), " What a donkey I 

 was to be so awkward ! By St. Antonio, if he 

 comes again, I'll smash him ! " But if you keep 

 lashing away at him immediately, as I have seen 

 many fishermen do, — ay, and practised hands too, — 

 he will probably treat you with contempt, and will 

 have no intercourse with your gay deluders for the 

 rest of the day. It is some time, perhaps, since he 

 has taken up his seat in the water, without ever 

 having seen an animal like that which you are so 

 obliging as to tender him : all of a sudden come 

 a swarm of locusts, as it were, one after another 

 over his neb, which astonish and alarm him exceed- 

 ingly. Thus it is apparent, my most excellent but 

 too persevering friend, that you do not do justice 

 to his sagacity, or instinct, or whatever you please 

 to term it, if you set to work in such an intrusive 

 manner. 



1 This is not universal experience. A salmon frequently rises a 

 second time immediately after he has missed the fly once. It is best 

 not to waste px - ecious minutes. — Ed. 



