DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 229 



Leenane stands at the head of Killary Bay, near 

 the point where the River Erriff joins it, and is there- 

 fore convenient both for the sea and the river fisher. 

 At the time of our arrival the stream ran in full flood, 

 but on the second day it had subsided to fair volume, 

 and was of that slightly dusky colour that helps 

 so much to successful fishing. The river has a short 

 course and a quick fall, and therefore almost daily rain 

 is needed to keep it in trim, but it is, notwithstanding, 

 an ideal salmon river for its size, as there are numerous 

 deep pools to hide them, and miles of gravel shallows 

 for their beds. 



Fortune favoured us with the needed rain during 

 the whole of our first week, and, as fish were abundant 

 and not transferable to our homes in England, salmon 

 appeared on the table at nearly every meal, until, 

 with the hope of varying our fish diet, we determined 

 on a visit to Lough Nafooey for pike. This day's outing 

 was eminently pleasurable, made so at its start by 

 the lovely drive, during which we were kept quite 

 excited by the accounts of the monsters that there was 

 more than a probability of our capturing. Then, again, 

 Kmery was elated on learning that there was a chance 

 of giUaroo trout, on which he had set his desire, in the 

 stream that connects Lough Nafooey with Lough 

 Mask. 



When on the lough, with the baits spinning, little 

 time passed without excitement, and now and then 

 a fish. Emery had tugs from fish we much wanted to 

 know the weight of; one of them was quite a monster, 

 for, when it turned, it showed something of its size 

 to me; but the heaviest we got weighed just thirteen 

 pounds. 



We left the pike fishing early to get the much- 

 desired trout, and succeeded in getting a few, one of 

 which Emery opened to satisfy himself as to this fish's 

 peculiar possession — a birdlike crop, holding, in this 

 case, food and grit to grind it. 



