65 



patiouisingly remarks, "It's not a bad trout, but it's only 

 a baby compared to some of them hereabouts." We send 

 it to the farmhouse, close by, to be cooked for our dinners, 

 and re-enter the boat. "Now, Cornelias," I say, "we 

 must have that sixteen or seventeen pounder, or else you 

 will be out of employment this afternoon." He smiles one 

 of his knowing smiles, and as he settles to his oars, suggests, 

 '■ Maybe we'll find what you want at the Camlet." Away 

 we went with the silver minnows over the stern, and at 

 one of the least likely spots in this length of the river a 

 fish took my lure, with a gentle "rug," deep down. He 

 showed little fight at first, and I said " He is only a little 

 one ; " but upon giving him the "butt " it became evident 

 that he was a big fish. Going off with a rush he fought 

 stubbornly in nine foot of water, and all efforts to raise him 

 nearer the surface were unavailing for a long time, in 

 spite of a powerful rod strained almost to breaking point. 

 Finally we got him to close quarters, but show himself he 

 would not until he rolled up to the surface and was cleverly 

 gaffed by oiu- attendant, " Cornelias." A grand male fish 

 he proved to be, weighing sixteen-and-a-half pounds, in 

 excellent condition ; and if those persons who say that 

 autumn fish will not fight ever have the good luck to get 

 hold of one like him, their arms and back will ache before 

 they finish him ofi\ Going back to the bridge, where my 

 clium had killed his two fish, I got into a very pretty little 

 seven pounder, which was safely grassed, and after this 

 nothing more could be done, except that my chum killed 

 a pike on a minnow. It was not a brilliant day's sport, 

 perhaps, but it was good enough to satisfj^ yours truly, and 

 it made that old croaker green with envy ! Oiu' score for 

 the day had beaten his record for a month in weight. Per- 

 ha])s some of my angling readers will also feel a little 

 envious of our good luck, but I can only say if they do, 

 " Come over to Ireland and share it." 



Since the foregoing was written I have been getting 

 some very good sport amongst the Bann salmon, our score 

 for the week being thirteen fish, weighing 1131b. This is 



