A FIRST SPRINGER AND SOME OTHERS 87 



but as a rule they hang on and move tardily, yet with- 

 out risk of smashing something you cannot hasten the 

 finale. At the worst they are a little better than pike. 

 The one bonny spring fish was an absolute contrast, 

 though of course even clean salmon in February are 

 not so defiant and reckless in their defiance as they 

 are months later. Let us still be thankful ; a kelt is 

 better than nothing, a spring fish is welcome, and we 

 must be content with such chances as we can obtain. 



Consider the time consumed on a short winter day 

 by six landings. There is the getting in the other 

 lines by winching them up, making bait and fly fast 

 to the winch bar, rowing to shore, sometimes from the 

 middle of a 200 yards' river, and securing adequate 

 foothold ashore. The fish is to be firmly controlled 

 with a bent rod all the while, and when he comes in 

 there is no decisive finish with the cleek, since your kelt 

 must have his freedom unharmed if possible. The 

 dexterity with which the boatmen carry out these 

 operations is marvellous, the result of being masters of 

 their calling combined with long practice ; also because 

 they have the soul of the sportsman almost to a man. 

 The cost of six landings, in fact, works out at nearly 

 half an hour a time, and the reward on this particular 

 day was one good fish of 18 lb., which had taken a 

 Black Dog. The flies were most attractive, and there 

 were some pulls at tails of bait or feathers, two or three 

 rises, and a respectable fish which remained for five 

 minutes on one of the baits. By a pull, let me explain, 

 I mean the rattle of the reel for a fraction of a minute, 

 a sharp dip of the rod top, and the bait or fly resuming 

 its progress " as you were." 



To end this narrative I must not forget the novel 

 effect of the snow clinging to the tree tops. The firs 

 high up the steeps on either side for a couple of hours 



