176 HIGHLAND SPORT 



pressure, which quickly converted his masterly inactivity into 

 a most lively opposition, for the reel shrieked and the rod 

 trembled as he dashed into the stream once more to fight 

 it out. After a few very lively minutes he paused again, so 

 as there was a good shelving gravel shore behind me, I came 

 out of the water with the intention of coaxing him into this 

 bay. Stepping back from the bank, the manoeuvre seemed 

 about to be crowned with success, for he allowed himself to be 

 towed right on to the sand. ^ 



" Hurrah, he is clean and a whopper!" I cried, when with 

 a guttural yell my gillie, who had lost his head at the sight 

 of such a big fish, rushed forward, gaff in hand. As the 

 monster perceived the approaching foe he appeared for the 

 first time to realise his danger, so with a desperate splash and 

 one rattling run he placed some seventy yards of water 

 between us. I looked reproachfully at my man, who was 

 trembling with excitement, as he said to me, " Fifty puns at 

 the verra least." I replied, " All the better, Donald, but keep 

 behind with the gaff and pass it me if I ask for it, for if we 

 do get him, I mean to pull him out for myself" 



After a short rest on the far side of the river he began 

 quickly to head down stream. It would have been fatal to 

 check him, so we followed at best pace, while with a rattle 

 he dashed into the pool below. At this moment of the fight 

 my heart was in my mouth, for the bank receded from the 

 river in a large, irregular half-circle, so while my fish had to 

 go about seventy yards in a straight line, I had to race along 

 the bank more than double that distance, for the fish was on 

 the shallow side of the rapid, and the water ran darkly deep 

 next the bank I stood on. Down he went without a halt, 

 and run as fast as I could, by the time I had negotiated the 

 half-circle the rod was straight, while so many yards of line 

 were hanging listlessly in the water that it looked a hundred 

 to one he was off Winding up at all speed, as the line 

 became tight I once more with great joy saw the rod assume 



