Salmon Fishing. 143 



stumbling-blocks as we hurried down stream back to the very stone we 

 started from. 



" Ah, the divil ! he's goin' to rub round them stones. Kape up the point 

 now, and don't let him have any slack. Soul to glory ! that's grand ! I 

 thought ye was gone, but yere banner knows how to tayckle 'em," as the 

 fish made a great shoot towards the stones and tried to go between them, 

 but with a strong sidewise application of the butt, and a timely dexterous 

 slide, I brought him clear of it on the inside. 



" Hurry down wid him out of that ; I'll make a hole in the wall for 

 ye," and TeiTy sent half a dozen big stones rolling from a big stone dyke 

 about four and a half feet high which barred the way here. 



It was not easy to get the fish away from the stones ; he made 

 several dashes for them, but as I was now below him the weight of the 

 stream helped me ; and finding it too warm for him he turned down. I 

 handed the rod over to Terry, who stood on the other side, scaled the 

 dyke, and having now pretty clear water beyond, played my fish at my 

 leisure, till shortened runs bade Terry take the cork off the gaff. There was 

 a little sandy cove up which rippled the moving water. Twice I brought 

 the fish's nose into it, and twice when I thought his "rede was read" he 

 squattled off into deep water again, and had to be brought in again. The 

 third time as he came in he rolled over on his side, the fatal gaff pierced 

 him just above the vent. 



"Whoop! whoo-roo ! that's noble, that won't be bate this sayson, two 

 fish before breakfast," and a lovely sixteen-pounder was stretched beside 

 his comrade; we hadn't much time to spare, but doing the honours to 

 the fish, we corded them both, and Terry fisting one in each hand, we 

 proceeded in very great state and triumph to our inn, amid the flattering 

 comments of the on-lookers. "Sure it's Terry has the luck of it!" "It's 

 him knows the ways of 'em!" " Faix, the fish do be follying him every- 

 where mostly !" all of which Terry took as a matter of course, calmly laying 

 the fish down on the doorstep, that other gaffsmen who had come home 

 " clean," or without any fish, might feast their eyes on them awhile, 

 previous to his taking them to the fish house. 



Terry was in very great feather. Superhuman efforts were made to 



