A TROUTING TRIP TO ST. IG1TACE ISLAND. 121 



were evidently a mated pair, and both were broad- 

 shouldered, deep fish, but not very long, the largest 

 being only sixteen and a half inches. Their backs were 

 beautifully clouded and mottled, but the carmine spots 

 on their sides were not quite so vivid as those of dark 

 river- water trout. Fortunately they were merely lip- 

 hooked, and being at once placed in the floating creel, 

 soon revived. Now I began to feel big, and thought 

 myself quite an expert, but in less than five minutes 

 the conceit was taken out of me with a vengeance, for 

 on my very next cast I struck a magnificent fish and 

 lost him, and half my leader, instanter. On feeling the 

 hook old Salmo went like a shot over the brow of the 

 declivity and (I suppose) into a hole, and cut the line 

 short off. After that mishap I became more careful, 

 and never dropped my fly more than six inches from 

 the edge of the reef ; and whenever a fish was struck I 

 drew him at once, at all hazards, away from the risky 

 ground and played him on the plateau. 



By ten o'clock I had secured fifteen beauties, some 

 running close upon three pounds. Eleven of these were 

 as lively as ever, but four had been hooked in the throat 

 and soon died. 



As the day was now becoming bright and hot, I 

 thought it time to look after my boys, who were out of 

 sight around a point. I soon came up with them and 

 found " Squills " asleep in the bottom of the boat while 

 ' ' Bluffy " sat smoking, with his rod lying idly across 

 the gunnel with the line in the water. " What luck, 



