Chapt. ii. Playing a Miahset 11 



- at the bottom. You will find that in deep water a Manseer 

 will, like a ( rrayling, always bore down to the bottom. It' U 

 depth of 20 01 30 feel of water down ho will go t" the bottom, your 

 whole collar will disappear below water, and when al length you 

 again catch Bight of the knot that unites the '"liar to tin' running 

 line, you may commence "chortling in your joy," tor he is giving in, 

 j our strain is telling on him. as he will ae\ ei come up willingly, ho 

 will never spring into the air after the manner of the Salmonidn. 

 The moment he eomes upwards jmll him tow aids tin' shore. 

 in your claim for being the conqueror. 



Well, all being ready for paj ing out line at any required pace at 

 a moment's notice, and it not being supposed that it is to be given 

 gratis, tar from it ; how is full toll to bo exacted for every inch? 

 This is usually done by raising the point of the rod more or 

 less according to circumstances, and thus compelling the fish to 

 bend it before he can get the line to run, and to head it more and 

 more as you feel you can steadily raise the point still further, till 

 eventually you " show him the butt," a contemplation that must lie 

 anything but pleasant to him. 



Different men kill their fish differently, some taking twice as 

 much time about it as others. My ] 'reference is for having my 

 fish out of the water as soon as safely may be. Brute force is of 

 course out of the question, hut short of that 1 am for putting on all 

 the strain the rod and tackle is calculated to hear, and it is a 

 matter of some little nicety to know exactly how much your rod 

 will bear. But, above all, I am for keeping on the strain unremit- 

 tingly without a momenta respite. Do not give the fish an instant 

 to think, or it may occur to him to take up a position in which lie 

 can sulk at the bottom, and that is dreadfully slow work. You 

 must then tn ;dl the remedies usually prescribed for a sulking 

 salmon, but it is a tedious business at the best, and it is losing 

 time while you might he trying for anothei fish, My faith is that 

 l'V sutlicient j,r,ti,ii'litn>I,- you can prevent his ever taking to 

 u ntiring at all. The very moment he ceases rushing, comn 

 winding np, and wind away as vigorously as you dare without 

 a second's hesitation. Po not wait for him to shape the course of 

 events, but Bhape it yourself Bely a good deal on the force of 

 " pure cussedness " in a fish. Whatever you do his first idea i> i" 

 do the exact opposite. He is afraid of your restraint, whicl 



