SALMON ANGLING IN IRELAND. 223 



however, held a rising fish or two, and as the trout were remarkably 

 fine, the basket suspended by a hayband round his neck soon became 

 heavy. 



If satiety be the death of enjoyment, novelty lends it fresh life, 

 and here everything was new. A brook, the width of which hardly 

 exceeded half the length of my rod, a mountain torrent of black 

 water rushing down the glen, and a savage wilderness whose recesses 

 still held a remnant of the original red deer, all helped to heighten 

 the charm ; and then Pat was so polite that it was as much as I 

 could do to keep pace with his courtesy. No sooner was a flat 

 lightly fished over once, than my obliging attendant relieved me of 

 the rod and trotted on as hard as he could go to the next lodge, 

 which he usually contrived to get half through before I came up. 

 On one of these occasions, having succeeded in catching him, I held 

 out my hand for my property ; the usurper did not actually refuse, 

 but said, with a feeling I at once recognised and respected, " Yer 

 honour, I ris him three times, and, Mary, wam't he king of the 

 trouts ! The crathur's tin pounds if he's an ounce." And he cast 

 an imploring glance at my face, in hope, perhaps, of finding some 

 trace of brotherly love and charity. I understood the appeal. " Try 

 him again, Pat ; he's yours if you get him." I had not seen the 

 fish, nor did I believe him to be anything like the size stated, or my 

 self-denial might have been less heroic, as I watched the impulsive 

 party hurl his fly right at the head of the enemy. How I regretted 

 my rash promise as a magnificent fish flashed under the gaudy lure. 



"It must be a salmon, Pat." 



" A salmon ! No, no ! A salmon, yer honour ? Don't I know a 

 briddawn when I see one ? He's a trout, sir, I'm telling ye." 



This was said with considerable asperity. With some difficulty 

 we persuaded Mr. M'Hale to be calm and rest on his oars for a 

 minute, at the expiration of which the line once more flew over the 

 water, and before the fly had sailed a couple of feet, the same fish 

 dashed up and took it. The first desperate leap showed him nearly 

 all that Pat had stated him to be, and the second bound, landing 

 him high and dry on the bank, gave us full opportunity to admire 



