216 ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 



myself to be dragged forward into the rnidst of a 

 black, dangerous pool ! Here, fortunately, through 

 the assistance of my left arm, I kept pretty fairly afloat, 

 and managed at the same time to control a desperate 

 plunge of the infuriated fish, who forthwith, finding all 

 such exertion to no purpose, resumed his career up the 

 river. 



" Gentlemen, I cannot describe to you my situation 

 at this juncture. I have no recollection of how I felt 

 and acted for the space of some minutes, seeing that 

 such must have elapsed before I again found myself 

 able rationally to decide what steps, consistent with the 

 honour of an angler, it were best for me to pursue. I 

 had been hauled upwards of an hundred yards through 

 the centre of the water, and was now lying, altogether 

 exhausted, on a shoal-bed of gravel. My rod, strange 

 to say, remained uninjured in my grasp, and instinct- 

 ively I felt apprised of the continued presence of the 

 great fish, again at rest, within the distance of five 

 paces. He had, however, fortunately, no inclination to 

 stir fin previous to my reaching terra firma, on the 

 south bank of the river, where, by the aid of my flask, 

 I was enabled ere long to regain a good portion of 

 my lost strength and courage ; which having done, I 

 commenced a violent attack with sods and stones 

 upon the spot where he lay, and speedily had the 

 gratification of beholding him at full sail down the 

 stream. Following, of course, as fast as the drenched 

 ' state of my habiliments allowed me, I felt further 



