SALMON ANGLING IN IRELAND. 267 



mistaken. Taking exact marks, we rested on our oars for a short 

 time, and came over him again and again ; but neither would 

 he say a civil word to us, notwithstanding all our efforts to please 

 him, so we left the house promising to call again on our way back. 



When we quitted the hotel there was eveiy probability of a fine 

 day, but for the last hour all things seemed to portend a change. 

 Over the dull grey sky countless small dark clouds were flying ; 

 mists first floated over the peaks of Arigle, and then lingered there, 

 growing denser and more dense till they rolled in heavy volumes 

 nearly to the base. Then the gusts of wind grew louder and louder, 

 darkening over the surface of the lake. A storm was at hand, and 

 the conduct of our scaly friends was explained. They had long 

 noticed what we, with our boasted superiority, had not been able to 

 see until it was close at hand. 



How the big drops danced over the surface! How the wind 

 shrieked and raved through the mountain passes! Presently the 

 dry channels in every little hollow became wet, soon a thousand 

 streams were in motion, and in an incredibly short time after the 

 storm commenced they grew into torrents, and foamed and raged 

 down every glen. 



The best cast was before us, for we had reached the short stretch 

 of river which connects the upper with the lower lake. In many 

 places salmon rise well during rain, especially when it is of a 

 character likely to produce a fresh ; and now it seemed that 

 Dunlewey was one of these. We had not made haK a dozen casts 

 when there was a deep eddying swirl at the dropper, and in an 

 instant all was life and animation. Who cared for the rain ? As to 

 our boatman, it was a normal state of existence. My faithful 

 comrade was as contented when wet as he was when dry, and for 

 his master he never thought about it at all, for the tackle was 

 light, the fish strong and active, and that person had enough to do 

 to attend to his business. The fight was too fierce to last ; furious 

 and desperate runs ended in leaps as wild and headlong. Now 

 here, now there, it seemed as if several salmon were continually 

 throwing themselves out of the water, and I could hardly believe such 



