1888-89.] A Sporting Tour in Norzvay. 213 



darted across the river, but gave unmistakable signs of going 

 down the rapid to the pool below. This was a serious busi- 

 ness, as a number of high alder bushes overhung the bank, 

 and the great depth of water rendered wading impossible. 

 Holding the rod as high as I could in the air, I tried to carry 

 the line over the tops of the trees, but, alas ! it caught on the 

 first one. Calling out for some one to try and break the 

 branch, a Norwegian sprang up, knife in hand, and cut the 

 top, allowing the line to pass over. Following his example, 

 numbers of willing hands seized the remaining eight or ten 

 trees, breaking and bending them so as to afford facilities for 

 getting the line safely over. With a sigh of relief I again 

 got into open ground, and speedily wound up the line, the fish 

 being so accommodating as to come within a few feet of the 

 bank. My companions, who had been fishing higher up the 

 river, had arrived by this time, and one of them, gaff in hand, 

 waited for the fish to show himself. The excitement among 

 the onlookers was intense, as they peered down into the 

 depths, vainly endeavouring to get a view of the fish. I was 

 by no means sanguine of success, as, though an hour and three- 

 quarters had elapsed since the fish was hooked, I felt I had 

 no more control over him than I had at the beginning. I 

 also viewed with apprehension the rapid at the bottom of the 

 pool, and the tall trees that overhung the bank, their branches 

 spreading far into the water, rendering pursuit impossible 

 should he go downwards. After taking a few short runs, he 

 got into the middle of the current, and I feared my apprehen- 

 sions were to be realised. Slowly but surely he went down- 

 wards, allowing himself, however, to be pulled towards the 

 side into the deep water. We were now close upon the trees, 

 and I felt the testing moment had arrived. On he went 

 below the branches, the music of the reel indicating that the 

 end could not be far off. Standing with one leg on the bank 

 and the other on a stone, up to the knee in water, I glanced 

 hurriedly at the reel, and saw that the climax had come. 

 For a moment I felt like a culprit at the bar on sentence 

 being about to be pronounced, when the reel stopped, the rod 

 was pulled straight down-stream towards the fish, and with 

 a " twang " the gut gave way, and the captive had escaped. 

 When the top of the rod sprang straight, and struck up 



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