28 ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 



leled activity, and probed into the very haunts of the 

 largest trout. His most eminent feats, indeed, were 

 accomplished with the par-tail, and he gloried not a 

 little in recounting them. 



We remember well his description of the capture of 

 a large salmon with this lure. He happened to be 

 trolling in the narrow well-known gorge, immediately 

 below Yair bridge, and while in the act of drawing the 

 bait ashore, he observed behind it a slight convulsion 

 of the water accompanied by one of those momentary 

 gleams, which none but a practised eye can detect as 

 proceeding from the flank of a heavy fish. Tom im- 

 mediately proceeded several yards higher up the pool, 

 and commenced angling down and across, towards the 

 spot where these indications took place. The salmon 

 again rose, and fortunately, by allowing ' the bait to 

 run until gorged, he succeeded in hooking it. No 

 sooner was this accomplished, than it commenced its 

 long, steady dart, almost on the surface of the water, 

 terminating it with a sudden plunge, which threatened 

 to snap both rod and tackle. The struggle of the 

 fish to escape proved, however, unsuccessful, and only 

 served to strengthen the hold of its enemy. But 

 still there was no appearance of exhaustion about 

 it. It turned (to use Tom's own expression) like 

 a philosopher, and leisurely walked up the stream, 

 as if meditating upon the three Fates. Suddenly, 

 however it coursed in a new direction, exerting at 

 the same time its whole energies in order to get 



