J 68 STRENGTH OF FISH. 



pickle-tub. Try it. But I do not think this can 

 be done with all fish, as their shapes are different. 

 Nor can you well manage a salmon smaller than 

 five or six pounds in such a way. Gaffing dis- 

 colours the flesh when dressed, and destroys the 

 beauty of a fish before-hand, into the bargain, and 

 may thus be avoided if you intend the dead prize 

 to travel far. At the same time, gaffing is by- 

 far the more certain and safer plan ; for, at least, 

 the other mode is a dangerous experiment, and I 

 have known many good fish lost in the attempt. 

 But, my good pupil, how you stand staring and 

 gloating over the fallen victim ! Will you never" 

 have done ? 



Herb. — I was thinking how bravely he fought 

 for his life. Tell me, is any other fish so strong ? 



Theoph. — The only two that in the least degree 

 approach to it are the carp and the barbel — cer- 

 tainly powerful fish ; but with any other, in com- 

 parison with salmon, the difference really is no 

 less than between hooking a straw, and drawing 

 up from the bottom of the river a large post. No 

 one who has not felt or seen a salmon in hand 

 can form the least conception of its comparative 

 power. Hook (even with snap-tackle and a spin- 

 ning-rod) a jack of eight or nine pounds, at first 

 he gives a shake or two, but still you may go on, 

 wind, wind, till he is on shore ; but hook a six 

 pound salmon, and for ten or twenty minutes, at 



