TROUT FISHING. 171 



KILLING YOUR FISH. A small fish is, of course, 

 not even worth the wear and tear of a reel. But, if you 

 happen to hook a good one, wind up immediately; and 

 the moment you have got him under command of a 

 short line, hold your rod well on the bend, with just 

 purchase enough to keep him from going under a weed, 

 or rubbing out your hook by boring his nose into the 

 gravel. (Observe a fish, and you will always perceive, 

 that, after he finds he is your prisoner, he does all he 

 can to get down, as the best means of escape.) After 

 getting your fish under the command of a short line 

 and well-bent rod, let him run, and walk by the side of 

 him, keeping a delicate hold of him, with just purchase 

 enough, as I before observed, to prevent his going down. 

 When he strikes, ease him at the same instant; and 

 when he becomes faint, pull him gently down stream : 

 and, as soon as you have overpowered him, get his nose 

 up to the top of the water; and, when he is nearly 

 drowned, begin to tow him gently towards the shore. 

 Never attempt to lift him out of the water by the line, but 

 hawl him on to some sloping place ; then stick the spike 

 of your rod in the ground ; with the rod a little on the 

 bend ; crawl slily up as quick as possible, and put your 

 hands under him, and not too forward, as a trout thus 

 situated is apt to slip back ; so that handling him this 

 way must be rather a different touch from that of weed- 

 groping. If you use a landing net (which for saving 

 time, and particularly where the banks are steep, is 

 sometimes a necessary appendage), let it be as light as 

 possible ; very long in the handle ; and three times as 

 large as what people generally carry. Take care that 

 neither that, nor the man who may assist you with it, 

 goes even in sight of the water till the fish is brought 



