SALMON ANGLING IN IRELAND. 25 



We commenced' on the west shore, and did so little that we deter- 

 mined to cross to the opposite side. Paddling and chatting, we had 

 done about half the distance, when a desperate run woke us up, only 

 just in time to seize the butt as it was diving overboard. In the 

 hmiy, line and rod had been giasped together, and in a moment 

 eight or ten feet of its length were dragged into the water ; quick as 

 light, however, the line was released, and away went the fish down, 

 down, down as if he never intended to stop. Ten minutes, twenty, 

 thirty passed, and still our friend was tugging away as hard as ever 

 at the bottom of the lake. Willie, who in fifteen years, had seen too 

 much to be surprised at anything, was at last growing curious. 

 Laying the paddles over the gunwale, he crawled over the beams, 

 gaff in hand. Another quarter of an hour passed, and then our fish, 

 slowly yielding to the heavy strain, came gradually nearer the surface. 

 Peering anxiously into the water, my companion leaned over the side ; 

 *' He's uncommon short, sir," looking inquiringly at his master. The 

 fish was now perfectly tractable, the line being rapidly gathered in and 

 coiled on the beam, rip-rip-rip. I actually felt the gaff tearing its way 

 out. The force brought the side more clearly into view ; it was broad 

 as a plank. Whish, whish, shrieked the wheel ; there was a slight 

 check and a snap ; and that was all I ever saw of my stout friend and 

 *'my aunt's spoon." 



My faithful servant cast one imploring glance at the master ; his 

 unlucky knee still nailed the line to the beam. In winter and rough 

 weather, in heat and cold, he had served me with a love and fidelity 

 seldom met with never before had he made a mistake. " Cheer up, 

 old friend it was far more my fault than yours ; we shall both be 

 wiser another time." 



Whether such a chance will ever recur remains to be seen but to 

 lose a Lake trout from 181b. to 201b. Bah I it gives me a pain in 

 the praecordial region even to recall it. As if to make amends, 

 fortune favoured us, for we carried home two fresh fish, 111b. and 

 12^1b. respectively; together Avith fourteen trout, one of which was 

 fine, and weighed 6lb. ; the rest were small. 



We have closed our account with Can*a, and should have been 



