72 A YEAR OF liberty; oil, 



correctly, worse than nothing, as we hooked a nice fish and lost him. 

 Then it was time to move on. The Lilacs were too low ; next in 

 order is the "turn hole," the lower part of which lay in the full 

 sweep of the wind, and seemed full of promise. Nevertheless, we 

 passed four flies over that cast in vain. Now we reach Olatty Hole. 

 Three parts of this long reach were also too low, but still there 

 remained ten or twelve yards of excellent water. Here we succeeded 

 again, landing our fourth fish. Next in merit to the Bridge Pool is 

 Island Fad ; but here the river makes a sudden bend to the west, so 

 the north wind did not avail. The Colonel's Lodge was in a similar 

 evil case, and we speed on to Skelly's Lower Holm. Over this the 

 keen breeze blew fresh and fail', and, as we expected, another salmon 

 was added to the basket, which, however, long since too heavy, had 

 been left behind ; so, "being added to the basket" was a figure of 

 speech, importing that the last captive was bound head and tail, and 

 thus carried. The Brambly Comer, the Ford, and " the Stone 

 Throw," were all in excellent order, but not in a charitable mood. 

 The day was wearing late. Should we go home ? No, by no means ; 

 so we trudged back to the bridge, and fished all the pools down 

 without moving another fish. The last cast on the river was the 

 lower island, and here, after much flogging, we whipped up another 

 twelve-pounder and killed. The six fish weighed 671b. ; the 

 smallest 91b., the largest 151b. 



It was late when we reached the cottage, but not too late to 

 exhibit om' prizes on the grass-plat. **You would have done better 

 had you stuck to the old river, instead of running half over the 

 country," observed Madame ; and I was much of the same opinion. 



Nothing has been said regarding pecuniary terms on this river. The 

 omission is intentional, as I have no warrant for promising that the 

 price of one year will be the price of another. As a general rule, the 

 market has an upward tendency. Whether it has reached its highest 

 quotation may be a matter of doubt. Our glorious fishery law, by 

 improving second and third-rate streams, will, I believe, lessen the 

 angling value of those whose reputation has hitherto been of the 

 highest. This silence on the money question is no injury to the 



