Salmon Fishing. 141 



the fish mostly came. I fished it all over according to my lights, and 

 couldn't manage a rise. 



" D'ye see that dent in the wather, sir, just before it breaks aff ? Throw 

 weU up sthrame, sir, wid yere left hand foremost. Let the fly swing round, 

 and hang it over that dent for half a second, and — sirre that's below him, 

 shorten in a yard and pitch well up. Begorra ! there he was, and a good 

 wan. Whooroosh, now ye'll see the fun ! " as a heavy boil and a sharp tug, 

 followed by a weU-arched rod, rewarded the slight dragging pause the fly 

 made just over the said dent. Scree-e-e-ch went the reel, with a scream 

 of prolonged applause, as our friend plunged madly up on to the flat above 

 at racing speed, where he performed a grand break-down all to himself, 

 coming up with a half leap and a desperate plunge on the surface, and 

 then, turning, he made hither and thither in all directions. Then he 

 set his face for home, and down he went to the very edge of the stream. 



"If he goes over, be the powers, a clothes line wouldn't hold 'm," 

 murmured Terry at my elbow, steadying me as I got nervous and weak 

 kneed at the danger. 



I laid on all I could spare, and, whether he found it too much, or 

 didn't want to battle with the torrent below or no, I can't say, but he 

 turned at the critical moment as he was on the very verge of the precipice, 

 and came rushing up stream into the flat water again, when he once 

 more gavotted all over the floor. Three times did he repeat this manoeuvre, 

 and three times was my heart in my mouth, as it seemed that he must 

 go* down the rapids. The last time, however, he didn't rush up quite 

 so speedily, but went bobbing up and down in a dogged, dazed sort 

 of way. 



" Ye nigh done him," said Terry ; " if ye could sling him round into the 

 slack wather below here, maybe I'd get a chance at him. Kape a good fut- 

 hold now and change places wid me, for here he comes rowlin' over." I got 

 a better footing on the second stone, and Terry, stooping down as the fish 

 came rolling past the outer stone into the quieter water below, extended the 

 gaff. There was a bright flash in the water and the fish came struggling 

 out and was whipped under Terry's arm tightly and held there as we 

 walked ashore, a triumphant procession of two and the fish. 



