166 TROUT FISHING. 



always perceive, that, after he finds he is your 

 prisoner, he does all he can to get down, as the best 

 means of escape.) After getting your fish under the 

 command of a short line and well bent rod, let him 

 run, and walk by the side of him, keeping a delicate 

 hold of him, with just purchase enough, as I before 

 observed, to prevent his going down. When he 

 strikes, ease him at the same instant ; and when he 

 becomes faint, pull him gently down stream : and, as 

 soon as you have overpowered him, get his nose up 

 to the top of the water; and, when he is nearly 

 drowned, begin to tow him gently towards the shore. 

 Never attempt to lift him out of the water by the 

 line, but hawi him on to some sloping place, then 

 stick the spike of your rod in the ground ; with the 

 rod a little on the bend ; crawl slily up as quick as 

 possible, and put your hands under him, and not too 

 forward, as a trout thus situated is apt to slip back ; 

 so that handling him this way must be rather a 

 different touch from that of weed-groping. If you 

 use a landing net (which for saving time, and par- 

 ticularly where the banks are steep, is sometimes a 

 necessary appendage) let it be as light as possible ; 

 very long in the handle ; and three times as large as 

 what people generally carry. Take care that neither 

 that, nor the man who may assist you with it, goes 

 even in sight of the water till the fish is brought well 

 to the surface, and fairly within reach ; and then you 

 have only to put the net under him, or keep his eyes 

 above water, and tow him into it. Mind this ; or 



