226 AKERSTROM. 



hooked, and one is necessitated to follow where he leads, be 

 the rocks as steep and slippery as they may, and the pace 

 a sharp one, one risks falling into the torrent, whence extri- 

 cation is hardly to be hoped. 



When on these fishing excursions to Trollhattan, I occa- 

 sionally borrowed a boat in the still water below the pools, 

 and dropped down the river to Akerstrom, a distance of 

 a mile or more, where there is a very fine rapid, as also a 

 sluice to facilitate the passage of ships. 



This rapid, in the season, is never without salmon, and 

 those of the largest size fish of forty to fifty pounds, being 

 by no means uncommon. It is asserted, indeed, that at 

 times they are taken still heavier. 



Spinning succeeds tolerably well here ; but from the depth 

 and rapidity of the stream, nothing is, I imagine, to be done 

 with the fly. I, at least, could never succeed in raising 

 a fish by that means, and I have tried flies of all sizes 

 and colours. 



Though salmon may occasionally be taken below the rapid 

 in question, the only really good place for the rod is in the 

 smooth water immediately above, where with a long and 

 heavily-leaded line, one crosses the stream backwards and 

 forwards in the manner of trolling. When the fish strikes, 

 one should keep directly above him, and endeavour, if 

 possible, to draw him up the ' river ; for though one may 

 with perfect safety follow him down the rapid in appear- 

 ance quite sufficiently formidable, by the bye yet what 

 with the line necessarily slackening during the descent, the 

 chances are equal as to his capture or escape. One should 

 also be careful to have him well in hand, for if there be too 

 much line out, and that he suddenly crosses the stream 



