NORWAY AND ITS SEA TROUT 223 



playing mine, a fish of equal size apparently, but it got 

 off, leaving him still the consolation of an i8-lb. fish 

 and another smaller, which lay in his boat. 



One of the most curious days in the way of weather 

 was yesterday. It was my turn to fish the salmon 

 water, and I did fish it, hard and honestly, but came 

 ashore with a clean boat. H., on the same day, did 

 splendidly with the sea trout in his own water, making 

 a bag of close upon 40 Ib. There was a gale blowing 

 in the morning ; rain of course was falling, but the 

 curiosity of the day was an intermittent sirocco, which 

 came up the valley like blasts from a fiery furnace. The 

 wind was so overpowering on my salmon reaches that 

 it was hardly possible either to hold the boat or to get 

 out line. But here is a summons to dinner, and I have 

 only time to add that on one day last week I had a 

 very pretty half day with the sea trout, getting six fish, 

 which weighed 29 Ib., and they included one of 8 Ib., 

 one of 6 Ib., and two of 4 Ib. each, all caught with the 

 small Bulldog. Three fish, weighing 17 Ib., is the 

 entry for another day, and that included an n-lb. 

 bull trout. On August 15, which was a day of continual 

 losses from short rising, there were four sea trout, 

 weighing 18 Ib., one of them a fish of 9! Ib. On the 

 following day, fishing from eleven till three in a bright 

 sun, the take was five fish and some small trout, making 

 a total of 24 Ib. 



One morning (it is August 30) the mountain tops 

 were beautifully white. There has been heavy snow 

 during the night, and the poor hard-working people I 

 find reaping down their scanty oats, or chopping off 

 their 3 -in. grass for hay, in a bitter north wind. The 

 G. P. F., as we trudge off to his water, draws my at- 

 tention to that spot in the middle of the estuary which 

 has been mentioned before as exposed at low water. 



