DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 65 



time, but my experience teaches that a game fish needs 

 little spurring beyond his dread of being held. 



Gentle as the handling was, the fish soon after this 

 came on its side and, by a slight strain on the line, 

 was being brought inch by inch towards the net — 

 and in an instant more it would have been in it — when 

 he lifted his head and banged it back in such a way that 

 a loss was certain had not the angler been watchful 

 and dropped the rod point in the nick of time. This 

 movement of the head extended wavelike along the 

 body to the tail and gave an impetus to the oncoming 

 fish that caused it to glide by the net too fast for me 

 to dare to make a try for him, although I knew there 

 was danger of his coming to the bank amongst the 

 overhanging docks and grasses. The angler's efforts 

 told and the line only shaved the tips of the obstructions 

 as the fish made the turn and, in doing so, gave me my 

 chance. I got the bulk within the ring, and, as I lifted 

 higher, the nose and tail sUd after the bending body 

 to the bottom of the net. 



The salmon has been given without cavil the title 

 *King of Fishes,' and I think the Thames trout should 

 be crowned their Queen. Was there ever a queen more 

 coy and shy than they are, or one that fought more 

 gallantly for liberty than this one had? No queen 

 was ever more perfect in form or bedecked in more 

 lovely garb — at least so I thought — than the one that 

 lay upon the grass while three excited folk did what 

 might well have passed for a war dance round the 

 victor of the fight. 



Flushed and almost breathless with excitement, 

 the happy fisher round whom we capered asked how 

 much the fish would weigh, and, when our host 

 prophesied that it would turn the scale at nine pounds, 

 her pride burst out, — 



'Why, Phil, that beats your biggest, doesn't it?' 



'Even were that not so, dear, my duty would cloud 

 my memory at such a moment.' 



D.s.s. C 



