28o AMERICAN GAME FISHES. 



about eighteen inches long, and would probably have weighed 

 three pounds or more. I had meantime secured a couple of 

 small ones, that fought gamily, but came to the net without 

 serious difficulty. Meantime my neighbor had repaired the 

 damage to his tackle, and at the next cast secured three 

 two of about a pound each, and one of half a pound. They 

 gave him a lively tussle for perhaps ten minutes, when he 

 netted and creeled them safety. I had meantime fished on 

 down to the foot of the rapid without getting another rise. 

 We whipped the big pool at the foot of the rapid, from oppo- 

 site sides, without success, and then started down the next 

 reach of swift water. At the second cast I made in this, a 

 two-pounder took my first dropper a brown tackle and 

 began a series of leaps and rushes that made me shudder. 

 He finally headed down the stream. I gave him line, and 

 when he had taken out perhaps fifty feet of it I felt a fearful 

 surge on my rod, that told me plainly my foe had received 

 reinforcements. An instant later a Trout fully twenty inches 

 long leaped full out of the water, turned a complete somer- 

 sault, shook his jaws savagely and returned to the foaming 

 element, with a splash that threw sparkling drops high on the 

 shore. The big fellow now headed up the stream with such 

 vigor and determination as to tow his mate bodily through 

 the current for some twenty feet, though the junior captive 

 plunged and bucked like a wild cayuse in his efforts to resist. 

 I trembled for my tackle, but, releasing the spring of the 

 automatic reel, every inch of slack came in as fast as it was 

 given. 



The big Trout soon tired of his load; turning square about, 

 he made a dive for the pool at the foot of the rapid, and his 

 running mate seconded the motion. Again I pressed the spring, 

 and the reel sung a lively song as the line went out. Mean- 

 time, I followed as fast as I could, but my footing was inse- 

 cure, the rocks slippery, and I was in constant fear lest an 

 unlucky slip should land me on my back in the icy water. 



