Striking, Playing, and Landing 117 



the current together if the angler is below him, 

 whereas if the angler is above, it is he who has to 

 overcome the force of the stream in addition to 

 that of the fish. Of course it may, for various 

 causes, often be impossible for the angler to go 

 down with a fish a quarter or a half mile, but 

 where it can be done it will be found to materi- 

 ally shorten the time of bringing him to gaff, 

 and every unnecessary moment spent increases 

 more and more the chances of loss. The neces- 

 sity of keeping a continuous strain on a salmon 

 has been realized by every angler. This fish has 

 the power, common to many of his species, of 

 ejecting forcibly from his mouth things he doesn't 

 approve of, and doubtless can do so with a fly 

 unless it is firmly fixed, when the line is slackened. 

 I have seen a shrimp bait forced several inches 

 up a link of gut above the hook by salmon in the 

 Galway, and have no doubt the same methods 

 are adopted, and often successfully, with flies. 

 The strain on the fish is unavoidably broken in 

 two instances, first, when he turns and runs 

 toward the angler. All the latter can do in such 

 a case is to run back himself, if he can, and reel 

 up his line as fast as possible. Both of these 

 means only suffice to shorten the danger period. 



