SALMON ANQLINa IN IRELAND. 145 



of our tackle, with such haste that I occasionally hear him asking 

 John to extract a hook from his jacket, or beseeching Willie to take 

 "that confounded barb" out of his finger. In the construction of 

 these trolling traces we have made allowance for " jack," the trebles 

 being tied on six inches of fine gimp and there goes the Colonel's 

 first venture. 



Having resolved on giving a public dinner, we issued a general 

 invitation, and by a liberal carte hope to please all. Over the stem 

 twirls a delicate roach and an artificial minnow ; from either quarter 

 revolves a coUiogh and a small spoon ; and, grace being said, we 

 wait patiently for the expected guests. 



"Hullo! you there," bawled the Colonel, whose line from the 

 headway of the boat was running at a rate which soon threatened 

 to bring it to an end. " Stop back why the deuce don't you 

 back ? Back as hard as you can !" The fulfilment of these orders 

 restored to my friend much of his cordage and more of his temper. 

 Something heavy was on the rod, but whether salmon, trout, or pike 

 was uncertain. Presently we caught sight of the overhanging brows 

 and sinister aspect of the latter, who was satisfactorily disposed of 

 shortly after. Next the spoon came into favour, and ladled out 

 perch after perch with great celerity. Then the fickle goddess 

 again sat in the stem sheets, and gave the veteran another stout 

 pike of 81b., and a trout of 31b. ; and so we fished and chatted 

 till the soldier protested it was high time for tiflSn, when we 

 pulled in for a piece of lawny turf, where kindly nature had already 

 pitched a marquee for our use, which by a careless observer might 

 have been mistaken for a sycamore. No picnic can be a success 

 without a fire ; ours soon smouldered, and gradually arrived at 

 cooking order. Fillets were cut from the best pike ; our trout had 

 the honour of a spit to himself ; and a 21b. perch was given up to 

 the Colonel. How scientifically he conducted each stage in the 

 delicate operation ! First, some wood cinders were placed on a flat 

 stone, and the fish laid thereon ; next, the upper surface was dotted 

 all over with small morsels of butter ; then cayenne was liberally 

 dusted over the whole ; and a trifle of salt, with just a suspicion of 



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