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the fish has made half a dozen strong turns or 

 efforts to disengage himself, you should begin 

 to wind up gradually, and direct him towards 

 shore. If, however, afterwards he continue, 

 ever and anon, to make a dash to get free, give 

 him line every time he does, and do not make 

 up your mind to land him until you perceive 

 him completely fagged. Allow your fish to 

 run with the stream. Playing a fish against 

 stream is the worst practice possible ; for if you 

 do, you can scarcely calculate the great ad- 

 ditional weight you throw upon your tackle ; 

 and, moreover, there are many chances, that the 

 force of the resistance you in such a case meet 

 with will tear away the fish from your hook. 

 This precept you may see particularly illustra- 

 ted, if you endeavour to spin a minnow against 

 the current of a rapid stream. Even the resis- 

 tance offered to so small a fish will be frequent- 

 ly sufficient to tear it from off the hook. The 

 circumstances under which it will be peremp- 



strength of the rod ; so that he is much in the same state 

 as that of a deer caught round the neck by the lasso of a 

 South-American peon, who gallops forwards, dragging 

 his victim after him, which is killed by strangulation in a 

 very short time. When fishes are hooked foul, that is, 

 on the outside of the body, as in the fins or tail, they will 

 often fight for many hours, and in such cases are seldom 

 caught, as they retain their powers of breathing unim- 

 paired ; and if they do not exhaust themselves by violent 

 muscular efforts, they may bid defiance to the temper 

 and the skill of the fisherman." Salmonia. 



