SALMON ANGLING IN IRELAND. 185 



arch spans the short and naiTow channel which connects the lower 

 with the upper lake, I was summoned back to the realities of life by 

 a simultaneous shout from the Colonel and Pat. A powerful fish 

 had dashed at the troll, and his strength, exerted in a direction 

 opposed to the course of the boat, had already dragged three parts 

 of the rod under water. To seize the butt and check our speed 

 were matters of course. Pat protested we were "in" another 

 salmon, whilst "Willie, whose fingers had suffered severely during 

 the morning savagely affirmed ** 'twas only a pike, bad cess to 

 him!" A bold dash from the surface removed all doubts by 

 showing us the best trout we had seen during the day. Eight or 

 ten minutes brought him well under command, and soon he was our 

 own. So short and stout was this laker, that I should never have 

 believed him 6jlb. had not the scales attested the fact. 



In the morning Lough Conn seemed smiling in all the brightness 

 of eternal youth. Now, as we rolled away, it looked cold, grey, 

 and sombre, as the mist curled over it, and the mountain shadows 

 fell deeper and darker over its dreary length. That bad old man, 

 the Colonel, received a severe jobation for keeping dinner waiting 

 for two mortal hours ; priding himself on his punctuality and 

 politeness, the veteran was sadly crestfallen, and did not recover his 

 spirits till Madame, in a neat post-prandial oration, proposed his 

 health, and wished him success during the week equal to that which 

 had crowned the day. Her desire was fulfilled, and even the blood- 

 thirsty commander was so well satisfied that he determined to remain. 

 On the morning of our departure Pat and Terry were in attendance, 

 tucked up the ladies in the first style of art, wished us a pleasant 

 journey and an early meeting, and then, with their " God speed your 

 honour ! " sounding in our ears and finding an echo in our hearts, we 

 trotted up the street, and were soon bowling along the road in the 

 direction of Gal way. 



