52 OF FISHING FOR 



harbour : if it should not, he will most likely 

 twist the gut round roots or weeds, and break 

 away. 



To kill him, the nose must be kept up as much 

 as possible ; should he be very importunate and 

 resolute, he may be lent a little more line now 

 and then, but it must be promptly retaken with 

 tremendous interest, and got up as short as pos- 

 sible. After various fruitless efforts to escape, 

 which exhaust his strength, the nose may be got 

 fairly out of the water, he may be towed gently 

 to the side, and the landing net passed under 

 him. 



From the time of hooking the fish, if a large 

 one, to the time of landing, care must be had 

 that the line shall not be touched by the hand, 

 excepting under the just mentioned circum- 

 stances ; all should depend upon the pliability 

 of the rod. In case a landing net should not be 

 at hand, the reel may be stopped from running 

 back, the rod stuck up in the ground by the spike, 

 and both hands being disengaged, the fisherman 

 may stoop down and grasp him firmly behind 

 the gills. But the angler would do well rather 

 to take the fish down stream to the nearest 

 shallow, and draw him gradually upon some 

 shelving bed of gravel, where this is practicable. 

 The rod can then be retained in the left hand, 

 while the fish, even if a trout of S^lbs. weight, can 



