TROUT FLY-FISHING. 337 



enough to run the line off, he should be allowed to do so, 

 bearing on him with the line unchecked by the slightest 

 pressure of the fingers. As he slacks in his resistance, reel 

 in the line, giving when you must and shortening when you 

 can, "butting him," as some persons call it, or bearing hard, 

 only when he approaches some dangerous place, and leading 

 him away from it. After you have ventured to raise his 

 head above water, give to any strong effort he may make to 

 get beneath, or to his humor to take another run, but bearing 

 on him all the while with a taut line. When you can ven- 

 ture to bring him near, reel in until the end of the leader, 

 where it joins the line, has reached the end of the tip ; he is 

 then, if the leader is three-fourths the length of the rod, and 

 the rod pliant, close enough to slip your net under him. This 

 should be done not with a swoop, but gently ; seize him with 

 the left hand, sticking your thumb under his gill, and taking 

 the hook out of his mouth put him tail-foremost into the 

 hole of your creel. 



There is much less strain on one's tackle in playing a fish 

 than is generally supposed. In killing a Salmon, if he is 

 properly handled, it does not exceed a pound, and with a 

 Trout, it is not over an ounce or two. 



I have known anglers handle fish so well as to make a 

 common practice of slipping the hand gently down the leader, 

 and seizing them behind the gills, sometimes wearing a thread 

 glove to insure a firmer grasp. Few, however, have sufficient 

 skill and coolness for such dangerous practice. A landing- 

 Qet is almost indispensable when there is no convenient place 

 for leading your prize to the bank, or when wading ashore 

 would disturb the quiet of a pool. 



Likely Places, and how to fish them. — The success of 

 the fly -fisher depends almost as much on what might be called 

 22 



