VI The Last Salmon before Close Time 453 



river-side. Down at last over me rushed Thomas, 

 in a state of raving madness, flourishing the clip as 

 if he expected the fush to rise at it of his own accord. 

 Soon after him came equally delirious. I in- 

 structed him, when he had a slightly lucid interval, to 

 throw stones judiciously, whenever my beast rested for 

 too long ; and, in fine, after three-quarters of an 

 hour's hard work, we began to see one black fin after 

 another appear above the surface of the shallow 

 water on the opposite side ; and when I gave him 

 the butt, I began to be aware of something like a 

 great bar of red China copper suspended in the 

 brown water. Moment after moment the butt told 

 more and more ; and after one desperate lunge up 

 stream, he turned right round in the current, head 

 down-stream, rolling over and over, one fin after 

 another appearing as he revolved on his own axis. 



Matters being in this state, and both and 



Thomas avowing that they had never gaffed a fish 



in their lives, I gave the rod into 's hands, with 



strict injunctions to keep a tight line, walked into 

 the water, watched my opportunity, gaiifed him 

 scientifically, and brought him ashore, a fine deep 

 fish, seven pounds and a half, hooked through the 

 first ray of the anal fin ! 



' Gude guide us a' ! What a row about nothing !'^ 



^ Note, vindicatory of Hampshire fishermen. 



' Exciting, whether true or not ; but who cannot catch open- 

 mouthed gowks of salmon and grilse, fresh run out of that chaos of 

 greedy ignorance, the great herring-pond, common sewer of creation ; 

 who don't know one fly from another, and only require good tackle 



