SALMON ANGLINQ IN IBELAN. 101 



rather envied those birds. No morning meal for me, nor any imme- 

 diate prospect of such a thing ; the car is safe not to be at that 

 wretched roadside station to which we are bound ; should it by 

 any extraordinary luck be waiting, a trace may break ; then the 

 driver must stop at least four times to light his pipe ; whilst the 

 landlord will not suppose we want anything at such an hour ; then 

 perhaps, I shall remember being coughed down, and growl at being 

 twitted with always wanting food at inconvenient times. Now, this 

 is one way in which good people get into a pet before there is any 

 occasion ; for the car did meet us, breakfast was ready, and the 

 account of the fishing highly favourable. Yesterday several six and 

 seven pounders were bagged, and one rod was reported to have killed 

 sixteen fish. For the next hour it will be useless to embark, so we 

 may employ the time in taking a more extended view of the 

 lakes in Westmeath, Sligo, and Eoscommon than we have hitherto 

 done. 



Hitherto they have only been considered with reference to the 

 drake, which in general is supposed to be the Alpha and Omega ; 

 but, like many other ai-ticles of popular faith, this is an eiTor. Nor 

 am I quite prepared to admit that the May-fly fishing offers the best 

 sport these waters can show ; for it must be remembered that, with 

 very few exceptions, they hold pike and perch, as well as trout, and 

 that the Percidcp here run large, three and four pounders being 

 nothing remarkable. It is not difficult, therefore, to imagine how 

 excellent the trolling must be, either before or after the reign of 

 Prince Draco. With the fly, trout are of course only to be taken, 

 but in spinning, the angler goes in for all ; far heavier bags are to 

 be made, and, besides, there is the charm of variety. You get hold 

 of something heavy, and for ten or twelve minutes are in a delicious 

 state of uncertainty as to what you have got. I have heard several 

 gentlemen, whose property lay in the district, and whose opinions 

 might well be considered conclusive, say they preferred April, July, 

 August, September, and October, to May. Of course the blow-line 

 will always have warm advocates ; its delicacy, deadliness, and the 

 skill required in using it successfully, deserve all that can be said in 



