BALMON ANGLING IN IRELAND. 221 



frolic, and a levee m masse collected to deck them out for the 

 fete. 



** Bedad, your honour," observed Pat, who had all the while been 

 standing on his own threshold with a puzzled air and a humorous 

 smile on his extraordinary countenance, " Bedad, your honour, next 

 time we clean house you shall have it rint free for a fortnight." 

 The indefatigable steward had forgotten no single point. On a 

 flowery knoll a clean cloth was spread, and the fair Margaret busy 

 in culinary preparations. Oh, the luxurious happiness of that 

 humble meal ! A plate of oatmeal porridge, a pile of potatoes, a 

 slice of rye bread, and a cup of delicious coffee, brought by my 

 provident comrade, formed the entire carte; but time, place, and 

 circumstances lent a gusto that all the sauces of Lazenby or art of 

 Soyer could not have afforded ; and seating myself on the fragrant 

 cushion nature gave, with the sparkling waters of Clew Bay before 

 me, the majesty of Mome Tomas above me, the murmuring river 

 at my feet, I ate, laughed, and drank as if life had no sorrow, and 

 the world no care. 



"With his pockets full of potatoes just removed from the pot Pat 

 steamed into our breakfast parlour, and, without a word, led the 

 way down the knoll. The stream, dark and turbid, swept furiously 

 through the inistic arches of the bridge which supports the Achill 

 road. About twenty yards above this point the brook turned at a 

 sharp angle, forming a most tempting pool, the eligibility of the 

 spot being further increased by a huge fragment of granite, which 

 broke the current, sending it off in two long rippling lines. All 

 this was seen at a single glance as I stood on the bank, striking the 

 line from the rod, previous to making the first cast. Scarcely had 

 the fly touched the water when a quick dash showed there was 

 game afoot ; soon the line was again flying towards the opposite 

 bank ; in another second there was an eager rise, and we could just 

 see a heavy trout well hooked shoot off into the boiling torrent. 

 Just then the tail fly swept past the rock, and was instantly taken 

 by a small salmon of seven or eight pounds. The strain of the 

 tackle was tremendous, and the fish, now in full current, were 



