SALMON ANGLIKO IK IBELAND. 119 



I assured him ever3rthing it contained had been tried, and found 

 wanting. 



" Your honour has not wet this the morn," he observed, slowly 

 drawing a gaudy article from one of the pockets. I had frequently 

 tried it, for I was proud of the handiwork, but had at last thrown it 

 aside as worthless. " It might do," he said, running critically over 

 the composition. ''Gold tag, topping, kingfisher, and a turn of 

 ostrich ; that's a good tail, any way. Puce silk body, bright claret 

 hackle, fiery brown pig's- wool, and jay at the shoulder." " Is there 

 four or five jungle cock in the wing ? " " Well, it way do." '* Try 

 it your honour, any way." Scarcely had the fly touched the water, 

 when a monstrous salmon made a charge at it. I knew he was well 

 hooked. " Mona mon diaoul," exclaimed the veteran, " but he's the 

 best fish that's been stuck this season." "He's forty pounds if he's 

 an ounce.'" His activity and strength exceeded anything I had ever 

 conceived. Again and again, at a single dash, he tore the whole line 

 (140 yards) from the wheel, but by great luck always turned at the 

 critical moment. I felt from the first a terrible misgiving that the 

 business on hand was more than I could manage, and looked 

 anxiously for Pat, who had gone home in the hope of producing an 

 article more captivating than those hitherto employed. " Whish 

 he's off again," now leaving me scarce an inch on the reel, now 

 encumbered with a hundred yards of slack ; now dashing to the 

 right and then to the left, with such startling speed and determined 

 perseverance as kept me in constant difficulties. " Ah ! there's Pat 

 at full speed." " More power to yer elbow, yer honor ; I heard the 

 music up by the church, and that*s a quarter of a mile. Tare-an'- 

 ouns, but he's a tatterer." 



Verily I had caught a tartar; the strength of the fish, the 

 necessity of holding the rod up, and the weight on the line, had 

 "kilt me entirely." I was dead beat. My arm refused its office, 

 and if life had depended upon it, I could not have worked at the 

 wheel a minute longer. Gladly I handed the rod to Pat. The 

 change was scarcely effected, when the monster once more dashed 

 down the water at headlong speed. Pat saw the crisis was at 



