36 My Two Lays' Salmon Fislihuj. 



then shot up again, and the line went whizzing through the 

 ring.-^. " Bide a while, sir, till I steady him for ye ; " and 

 Phil Morris, after letting the salmon run, wound in the 

 slack till he had him well in hand, and made him feel the 

 weight of the line, the fish ploughing up stream about a 

 quarter of a mile an hour, and then he gave me the rod and 

 said, " Catch hold, sir, now you've got your first salmon on, 

 and never mind if you lose him. I'll get you another." 



And I said to myself, " Now I've got my first salmon on, 

 and if I lose him he'll get me another," and then 1 thought, 

 " Well, the tackle is heavier and the fish is bigger than 

 Avhat I am accustomed to, but it feels like playing a trout, 

 as far as I can see, and the water is heavy and no piles : by 

 Jove ! I think I shall land him." By degrees I found my 

 salmon tiring, after some minutes, and I had recovered a 

 good deal of line, and could see him, for he was nearly on 

 the top of the water, and he began to move quicker, and I 

 could guide him. The fear I had w^as of his jumping again, 

 and my holding too tight. I felt the perspiration standing 

 in beads on my face, and my hands were cramped. And 

 then for the first time Phil Morris spoke, almost in a 

 whisper, " Go on as you are, sir, aisy, and try and get him 

 alongside that wood-work, fifteen yards ahead, and I'll be 

 handy with the gaff; and for the Lord's sake, when he 

 smashes at the line Avith his tail, keep the top of your rod 

 well over him, and the line as tio^ht as you can convaniently 

 without jerking him." Every word fell on my ear, and I 

 tried to follow the advice, and played him with a steady 

 give-and-take, and suddenly I felt the excitement of a mad 

 fish rushing towards the side, plunging downwards and 

 smashing with his tail, and I thought all was over, when the 

 strain on the line slackened, and with a wild hurroo ! my 

 trusty fisherman laid him on the grass. I was so excited 

 with the fish that I did not see the man (who was Ipng on 



