i66 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



enabling me to give him all I dared, and I dared so 

 much that he was glad to turn as he neared the head 

 of the pool without making an effort to reach the 

 falls. His journey back was a leisurely one, and 

 then he faced the stream again as if waiting to ask, 

 'Where is my enemy now?' A smart strike set him 

 off up-stream again, as I desired it should, with the 

 result that he tired more quickly than on the former 

 occasion, and was quickly back to the stone from which 

 he had issued at the minnow's invitation. His reluct- 

 ance to move now made me fear an entanglement, 

 and I gave him a jerk, which moved him again, but 

 to my disma}', it was down-stream that he rattled out 

 the line until I feared he would be over the shallows 

 and amongst the high boulders about loo yards below. 



Now was the time for 'up the ladder and clamber 

 along the narrow ledge and down.' But I had deter- 

 mined not to try that passage while the snow was 

 there, so I called to the sailor to go down, with the 

 hope that I might bring the fish near enough to the 

 side for him to gaff. My position did not permit the j 

 rod to aid me in this though the fish was then floating - 

 on his side in mid-stream, and I could do nothing but ' 

 hold on with the line round my hand, hoping that by ■ 

 some means the handy man would reach him. I was ' 

 hopeful, when I saw John land on a rock well out into 

 the stream, that he would be able to reach it, but he 

 could not. Just then it struggled afresh, and the 

 gillie, thinking the prize would go, stepped off the 

 rock into much above his high boots and gaffed him. 



Climatic conditions quickly alter in Glen Lyon, 

 and have much effect upon its visitors. The frost 

 that locks the river to-day and sends them home 

 by its seemingly fixed determination to abide may 

 be gone to-morrow, and the wires will be set to work 

 that bring numbers back to tread the river's banks 

 that once knew but few Spring-comers other than 

 myself. 'Do I like the change?' Yes, and stay the 



