GLORIOUS SPORT. — LANDED! — "HOW LARGE? " 251 



quarters inches in length, nine inches around, and weighed, 

 by good honest scales, one and three-quarters pounds. But 

 tliat which went out of the beautiful form, as it lay gasp- 

 ing on the sod, was the better [)art of him. 



"Did I stop fishing then? " Such is the heart of man, — 

 1 did not. The large flies continued to take only the large 

 trout, and when they ceased to allure, the small flies 

 brought out smaller fish.* There was some savage work. 

 One frayed leader with its trailing flies yielded to the tug 

 of a mate to my first large trout. Another ])ig-m()uthed, 

 sharp-toothed fellow cut the snell of a salmon fly, like a 

 knife-blade. Sometimes defective hooking, over confidence, 

 or eagerness cost me what I thought was a two-pounder. 

 But there had been enough good forttine for the day, and 

 gleeful excitement enough in those two hours to last for a 

 year, and to furnish pleasant recollections for a life time. 

 Finally the trout family went to bed, I said good night to 

 the again quiet pool, and we floated on down the river. 



I reeled in my line, put away my flies and unjointed my 

 «. 

 trusty rod; for there were no more worlds to contpier with 



that weapon, and if there were, I wanted day -light for the 



business. 



