98 



mendous interest, and got up as short as pos- 

 sible. After various fruitless efforts to escape, 

 which exhaust his strength, the nose may he 

 got fairly out of the water, he may be towed 

 gently to the side, and the landing-net passed 

 under him. From the time of hooking the fish, 

 if a large one, to the time of landing, care must 

 be had, that the line shall not be touched by the 

 hand, excepting under the just-mentioned cir- 

 cumstances ; all should depend upon the plia- 

 bility of the rod. In case a landing-net should 

 not be at hand, the reel may be stopped from 

 running back, the rod stuck up in the ground 

 by the spike, and, both hands being disengaged, 

 the fisherman may stoop down and grasp him 

 firmly behind the gills." 



Colonel Hawker says, " A small fish is, of 

 course, not even worth the wear and tear of 

 a reel. But if you happen to hook a good one, 

 wind up immediately ; and the moment you 

 have got him under command of a short line, 

 hold your rod well on the bend, with just pur- 

 chase enough to keep him from going under 

 a weed, or rubbing out your hook by boring his 

 nose in the gravel. Observe a fish, and you 

 will 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 



