91. 



to those two circumstances. If he be lightly 

 hooked it will require great art to land him ; 

 you must be as gentle as a lamb, coaxing him, 

 rather than forcing him ; and you must be ever 

 ready to give him line when he struggles. 

 Employ no violence, and even when by gentle 

 manoeuvring you have fairly tired him out, 

 guide him, rather than drag him, towards your 

 landing-net. When you have hooked a fish 

 solidly and this we take to be the case on 

 which to give general instructions for playing a 

 fish if he be a tolerably large one, and if the 

 river be fair and free from obstructions, do not 

 endeavour, as some authors erroneously advise, 

 to make your fish show his head above the 

 water. On the contrary, yield to him by giving 

 him line gradually, and let him go, if he choose 

 to take that direction, down current and at 

 mid-water. Be sure, however, that in giving 

 him line you do not allow him to slacken his 

 hold, and take particular care that you con- 

 stantly feel your fish, which you may always 

 do by holding your rod nearly perpendicular, 

 giving, as it is called, the hut-end to him. 

 Never be afraid of giving your fish too much 

 line, provided you feel him, and can keep him 

 from the bottom; for there is nothing that more 

 speedily exhausts a fish, than to have to drag 

 a long length of line after him. This was the 



