142 Sporting Sketches in Pen and Pencil. 



He was a lovely fish IS^lb,, and one of the thickest and broadest fish 

 I ever saw. "We laid him on his bier of ferns after a crack on the poll, 

 and celebrated his obsequies with a libation of Jamieson, while I lighted 

 my matutinal weed. "We then mounted the high bank en route back to 

 breakfast. As we came past the ledges we saw the gentleman from 

 Belleek making for the road similarly bent. 



" "Why wouldn't ye just take a cast over ' The Angler ? ' Now the 

 gentleman's left it, a fresh fly and a rest may fetch him up," said Terry. 



No sooner said than done ; we turned off leftwards, and soon stood on the 

 bank of the stream, and a lovely stream to the eye of the salmon fisher it 

 is. On the opposite side the cast is called the Sod ditch, and both united 

 a little below become Cos na "Wonna. The Angler's Throw is a fine 

 rippling streamy cast ; a cast that will fish whether there is wind or none ; 

 and is not hopeless even in a bright sun. Near the lower end are three 

 big stones ; and very nasty rocks they are, as you will find to your cost, 

 if your fish goes between them ; behind the first, which is easy to cover, is 

 a favourite rise for a good fish. I began at the top by Terry's advice and 

 fished according to directions given, from time to time, down the whole 

 pool without seeing a sign. 



" Aisy over that curl there. There's a big shtone under it, and it's the 

 best pitch in the sthrame. Drag the fly a bit; don't hurry, ye're banner. 

 Houly Moses, ye're in him!" and a good fish made a grand dash at the 

 fly, which there could be no mistake about, and carried the fly into the 

 crystal depths. A long rush up and across to the Sod ditch was the opening 

 performance ; and it seemed at first as if he was bent on going up to the 

 Ledges, for he made a succession of dashes, with a slight pause after each, 

 till he got me some seventy yards up stream. 



" Shorten in and folly him, yer banner, or sure as death he'll turn 

 round on ye, and wid all that line out ye'U be drowned and cut." 



The advice was good, and not given a bit too soon, for I had just reeled 

 up and got up with him when round he turned and went down stream like 

 a steamboat. 



" Kape foreninst him, kape foreninst him, round the stone ! " and 

 Terry, taking hold of me tightly above the elbows, steered me past 



