46 THE SALMON 



straining a strong salmon-rod in landing a little grilse 

 of eight pounds on the heavy stream known as the 

 Cat Holes, in the Tay. A fish hooked through the 

 tail gives you a better chance ; as, although he has 

 the advantage of you at first, and fights like a tiger, 

 you become master of the situation, and may tow him 

 safely to harbour if you once succeed in lifting his tail 

 out of water. His strength is gone, and he is as 

 powerless as Antaeus when Hercules prevented him 

 from touching his mother earth. But how often the 

 hurried strike of a converted trout fisher snatches the 

 fly from the jaws of a rising fish. Heaven defend 

 me from the gillie who shouts or whispers ' There it 

 is.' It is difficult enough to keep cool and check the 

 instinctive action of the wrists even without such a 

 temptation, and poor human nature succumbs when 

 encouraged in vice by another. If the flesh is too 

 weak it is not a bad plan to try Tom Purdie's dodge 

 as reported by Scrope. He had risen the same fish 

 four times, and began to suspect that he had given 

 him too little law, ' or jerked the heuck away before 

 he had closed his mouth upon it. ... I keepit my 

 een hard closed when the heuck was coming owre 

 the place. Peace be here ! I fand as gif I had catched 

 the branch o' an aik tree swinging an sabbin in a 

 storm of wind.' 



