166 A YEAR OF LIBERTY ; OR, 



pulled for the western side, in order to make our first drift towards 

 a high headland on the opposite side. Lough Owel was a special 

 favourite with Willie, being, as he said, a place where a fish in 

 earnest might be killed," so I gave him a day ; nor was it long 

 before his line was sailing gracefully, far in advance of our humble 

 bark. Here and there, at long intervals, the small circling eddy 

 of some rising fish was seen as we glided on ; but nothing came in 

 our way till within two or three hundred yards of the rocky shore, 

 when a trout sailed up, dexterously sucked off my fly, and dis- 

 appeai'ed. There was a momentary glimpse of a very broad tail. 

 "Out with the paddles, and over him again ! " but before the words 

 were uttered, the folly of the order became apparent. The first dip 

 of the oar would have driven the fish from his ground, so the boat 

 was allowed to float silently on ; accurate marks were taken, and on 

 reaching the cliff, we pulled cautiously along its base before again 

 taking our station far above the spot where the charming vision 

 faded from our eyes. Every moment made me feel more and more 

 certain of being in the exact line. Now the fly must be within five 

 yards of the place now within two ^now. within one. Can we 

 have passed him ? There is the smallest conceivable rise a back- 

 ward motion of the rod, and such a swirl ! " He's got what he won't 

 get rid of easily. That's fine! Och, but that's beautiful! Ah, 

 master! sure there's nothing like this in ould Ireland, any way at all." 

 Thus spoke my faithful servant, instinctively charging his pipe, 

 whilst a faint smile stole over his honest and sober face. Now 

 rooting at the bottom, now rolling over the surface, again and again 

 flying as if life depended on his speed, what a gallant fish it was ! 

 Little by little his efforts grew more laborious and less effective. 

 Presently the broad tail which led to his destruction, scarcely 

 possessed the power to keep that small head under water. More 

 faintly still he fluttered from the fatal net, now it is over ; nature 

 can do no more, and like a log he is drawn slowly and steadily 

 towards the boat ; another foot and he is safe and on board. I 

 would have walked all the way from Dublin for that one fish. " Ten 

 pounds and a quarter ! No, not quite a quarter (our clerk of weights 



