30 THE AMERICAN TROUT. 
feeble efforts, while my companion, as quietly as he 
could, worked out his line till he could land him like a 
Christian. Great were the rejoicings when the prize 
earned with so much anxiety was secured. That is the 
way not to land a trout. 
One afternoon of a very boisterous day, I struck a large 
fish at the deep hole in. the centre of Phillipse's Pond, on 
Long Island. He came out fiercely, and taking my fly 
as he went down, darted at once for the bottom, which is 
absolutely covered with long, thick weeds. -The moment 
he found he was struck, he took refuge among them, and 
tangled himself up so effectually that I could not feel 
him, and supposed he had escaped. By carefully exert- 
ing sufficient force, however, the weeds were loosened 
from the bottom, and the electric thrill of his renewed 
motion was again perceptible. He was allowed to draw 
the line through the weeds and play below them, as by 
BO doing they would give a little, while if confined in 
them he would have a leverage against them, and could, 
with one vigorous twist, tear out the hook. TVhen he 
was somewhat exhausted, the question as to the better 
mode of landing him arose. The wind was blowing so 
hard as to raise quite a sea, which washed the weeds 
before it in spite of any strain that could be exerted by 
the rod, and drifted the boat as well, rendering the latter 
almost unmanageable, while the fish was still so vigorous 
as to threaten at every moment to escape. I besought 
the boatman, who was an old hand and thoroughly u]) 
to his business, to drop the boat down to the weeds and 
let me try and land my fish with one hand while holding 
the rod with the other. He knew the dangers of such a 
