SALMON ANGLING IN IRELAND. 207 



hurry." Whether this was part of the message, or an original 

 remark, I thought it best not to inquire ; but as my friend hated all 

 irregular doings, and in especial such as involved the loss of breakfast^ 

 I conjectured it was a mild rebuke for unnecessarily tampering with 

 my digestion. 



As we pulled against the gale I could not but admire the solitary 

 and savage scenery around the lake, where " hills peep o'er hills, and 

 Alps on Alps arise ;" but soon we were on the same cast we had left, 

 in order to take in our passenger, and in a few minutes afterwards 

 were fast in another good fish. When about half done, and sailing 

 soberly along some five feet below the surface, the dropper skimming 

 most invitingly over the wavelets, a fine trout rose and took it. 

 This at the moment was a huge delight, but presently the danger 

 became too real to be agreeable. Occasionally, like an ill-assorted 

 pair, they pulled opposite ways ; there was no keeping that last 

 person steady ; a more volatile individual I never saw sometimes 

 above, sometimes below his fellow-prisoner ; frequently behind, but 

 worse than all. more often before the exhausted salmon. How the 

 hook held so long was a wonder, but the parting moment drew near. 

 After a short race the trout made a bound over the water, tore the 

 hook from the jaw of the silvery log to which he was tied, and at 

 the same time obtained a fixed point, which enabled him to snap the 

 light thread which held him. How the rogues must have laughed 

 over our discomfiture. Short time was wasted in lamentation, and 

 before two minutes were passed damages were repaired, and " the 

 firm " was once more in full work. This was the last disaster of 

 the day ; henceforward all " went merry as a marriage bell," and 

 when evening settled down, our spoils might have set Mr. Groves up 

 for a day's business. We had five salmon, a dozen and a half of 

 white trout, and above a score of the coloured residents of the lake, 

 not one of which, by the way, exceeded 15oz. or 18oz. Some of the 

 trout were fine, one weighing over 51b., and another above 41b. ; and 

 of the salmon, the largest was the twelve-pounder which inaugurated 

 the sport of the day. 



Too happy and too excited to sleep, I heard the fierce wind rave 



