4 BY HOOK AND BY CBOOK. 



would take hold ! " but they don't, until perhaps one 

 is getting thoroughly sick of it, and then at a most 

 unexpected moment a fish takes the fly with a bang, 

 and it is such a surprise that one is very likely to lose 

 the fish in striking him too hard. 



In the present instance we had only fished a few yards 

 down, and were casting the angel from the point of the 

 rod with a short line in the very roughest water, when 

 a big fish came at it with a bang that nearly pulled the 

 rod out of hand and rendered any striking impossible 

 and unnecessary. Fortunately we had put on a treble 

 gut cast, or without doubt there would have been an 

 accident. However, this time everything was safe and 

 sound; and after the rod had replied to the tug we 

 were delighted to find the fish well hooked and a big 

 one. 



He ran about thirty yards off the reel at top speed, 

 and then commenced to lash out with head and tail upon 

 the surface of the water. It was a case of " Hold hard, 

 good tackle ! " and hold hard it did, so that he then 

 settled down in a more orderly fashion. This gave us 

 our opportunity, and while holding him lightly we 

 carefully threaded our way out amongst the boulders, 

 until we gained shallow water on the level surface of 

 the rock, then reeled up to him and, thinking he had 

 enjoyed sufiicient inactivity, put extra pressure on, to 

 which he replied by a leap, showing himself to be a 

 large fresh-run cock fish. 



He next rushed down to the depths of the pool, then 



