A RUN OF LUCK 229 



thrilling enjoyment and as much activity as might be 

 needed. 



This was not, as it turned out, too much, for the 

 salmon played deep and sullenly in the heavy current. 

 For quite ten minutes I got no sight of him, and we 

 had a ding-dong fight of give and take within an area 

 of about forty yards of deep water. Then he came 

 to the top, and I saw his tail before he started off 

 downstream. The pool was divided into two parts 

 by some thirty yards of shallow water, which was 

 broken here and there by boulders. The idea of his 

 employing them strategically did not commend itself ; 

 taking the risk, I dropped the rod-point so as to put 

 on as heavy a side-strain as I could. After a moment 

 of suspense the manoeuvre succeeded ; he turned and 

 went back to the deep water. From that point the 

 battle was won, though it was nearly ten minutes 

 more before I dared shift the rod to my left hand 

 and prepare for using the gaff. At last the chance 

 came ; the fish turned on his side, and in a moment 

 I had him safely on the grass. That he was a comely 

 fish I will not pretend. An elderly male salmon, 

 whose arrival dates probably from August, has few 

 good looks in October. But he weighed nineteen 

 pounds, and was a long way better than nothing. 

 I had no string to tie him head and tail ; there was 

 a mile between me and home. I will confess that 

 I stuck the gaff through the fish's jaw and towed 

 him along the grass from stile to stile, and each 

 time he had to be lifted over (there were, I think, 

 eleven times) I ached more than ever. 

 The next day was a day of instruction, for my friend 



