SALMON ANQLINQ IN IRELAND. 81 



oak. These tilings aro pleasant to look on, perhaps all the more 

 pleasant for our ignorance. 



Wo have come a little out of our way in order to row back to the 

 ** O'Neil Arms," at Toom Bridge, on this fine Saturday afternoon. 

 Willie has been left behind to lay up the Pet, and his sister remains 

 to take care of him, with special orders to bi*ing him on to Mullingar 

 by the 8th. So the scribe and his fair companion strolled to the 

 side of *' Six Mile Water," took boat, and pushed off upon the broad 

 bosom of the lake. 



On the shore we had often been ; on the water, never. Some 

 chapters back, when citing several spots where larger trout were to 

 be found than in Lough Guttane, I omitted Lough Neagh, which 

 holds better fish than any other in L'eland. 



On my first visit to Antrim, I had a very natural wish to see what 

 the lake produced, and called on a professional for infoimation, who 

 promised to gratify m}^ curiosity as soon as he could. Late one 

 evening he came it was after dinner, and a pullan had formed part 

 of it, which fish you should know bears a very drowsy reputation. 

 Now whether it was that fresh-water herring or a twenty-mile walk, 

 I cannot undertake to determine, but certainly no yomig gentleman 

 was ever more awfully sleepy. Hardly awake when we reached the 

 cottage. I yawned out '"Where is the trout? " "Your honour is 

 standing on the same." The floor was thickly covered with flags 

 and rushes, which, when partially removed, showed a sight that 

 made me broad awake in a moment. There were fish of 41b., 8lb., 

 121b., 151b. in dozens and dozens. That night my nervous system 

 received a shock so severe, that I did not get over it for a week. 

 How plainly that night comes back to me now ! A thin sti ipling 

 the farthing candle my poor comrade the wretched hut the 

 flags and rushes the dead bodies laid out in decent order, like 

 heroes after a ''stricken field " you must admit the sight was very 

 touching. 



Not being anxious to gain a reputation for "tall talking," it is 

 right to say that at this time I was not a very correct judge of 

 weight ; besides, my head was off, and the light bad. Nevertheless, 



