/;/ Connemara. 51 



a couple of miles had yet to be gone through. 

 But this day's fishing was the best of the three, 

 and gave a hint of what might be done among 

 the mountains of Connemara with plenty of 

 water and plenty of wind ; for two dozen and a 

 half of trout were brought to book that day, 

 three of which alone made up six pounds 

 and a half between them. And what fish 

 shows finer sport than a good white trout? 

 Until one has caught him and has eaten him, 

 it is impossible to understand the enthusiasm 

 that all fishermen who have had sport with 

 him feel when he is mentioned. What fish 

 leaps so high from the water as he does, and 

 then rushes wildly away with the line ? 



I am far from feeling a contempt for those 

 milder kinds of fishing which are the delight 

 of metropolitan anglers, but there is something 

 in the union of the fresh mountain air, the 

 rushing breeze, the tumbling waves of the lake, 

 and the wild fish, which makes sea-trout fish- 

 ing one of the most enjoyable of the fisherman's 

 pleasures. A good day on this and the other 

 lakes of the district would be some three or 

 four dozen trout, with several two or three 

 pound white trout among them, and perhaps 



