250 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



great improvement on the. Castle Connell rod) the shoal had 

 either passed by, or otherwise had concluded to decline my 

 flies, and I was obliged to forego the amusement of again 

 playing a salmon that day. 



As there appeared no prospect for the river rising soon, we 

 began to think seriously of dividing the party, and two of us 

 taking gaflers and canoes, and going to the upper falls, twen- 

 ty-seven miles above. The next morning, however, was show- 

 ery, and the river had risen more than a foot during the night ; 

 we therefore concluded to defer going up the river until the 

 prospective rain should have subsided. The fitful showers 

 of the morning increased to a steady and heavy rain in the 

 afternoon, and both the general and banker met with fine 

 sport, taking several salmon of fine size. This day the gen- 

 eral evinced a commendable perseverance, for, in the heaviest 

 shower, if a salmon parted his line and carried away his fly, 

 he would forthwith stop where he was, and tie a fly in a 

 drenching rain, attach it to his leader, and proceed to casting. 

 He lost several large fish that day, and saved only three ; 

 one of these he hooked in the pectoral fin of the left side of 

 the fish, on the opposite side from the general, as the fish 

 started down stream, leading the general at double-quick 

 time. I was sweeping the pool at the mouth of Rattling 

 Run when I saw the general hastening down the St. John, 

 along the shore. The rain was drenching. He wore rubber 

 overalls, overcoat, and hat ; the brim of his hat turned under 

 across the forehead, giving him the air of enthusiasm so fine- 

 ly represented in the picture of Napoleon when he commenced 

 crossing the Alps. Of course there was the slight difference 

 of our general being on foot ; but, with his rod stretching 

 high in air, the storm catching his loose garment, the hat 

 with brim turned under and giving it the military chapeau 

 shape, the tout ensemble was all energy and action. Down 

 swept the general. Rattling Run had swollen considerably, 

 and was three feet deep and very rapid just above the mouth, 

 into which the general dashed and waded across, holding on 





