Fly Fishing for Salmon. 1 3 



but on the morrow, on arriving at the Boat Pool, I 

 noticed a peculiar smile on the fisherman's counte- 

 nance, and as we crossed, he said, " I think we will 

 go at once to the Coa, and try for the big one, not 

 that we shall land him if we do hook him, for we 

 never have, and I believe never shall land such as 

 he in this river." ''Why," I said, "what do you 

 think their respective weights were ? " " Well," he 

 said, " from forty to fifty pounds." Well, away we 

 went ; he took great pains in putting the rod to- 

 gether, in choosing a good casting line, and in 

 selecting, after a careful examination of his book, a 

 fly from his cap which he said my lord L. had lost 

 a big fish with, a day or two ago. After a short 

 time I managed the cast — all who know the Coa 

 Pool will understand what I mean by " the cast " — 

 it is a very long and difficult one, because your fly 

 must drop close to a certain stone on the further 

 side of the pool. I won't say how many yards 

 you have to get out, because people are apt to 

 exaggerate, but it is a very long cast, and that 

 will suffice, particularly as there is a big bank 

 and bushes close behind. As the fly came round 

 there was an awful swirl, the line tightened, and I 

 felt I had him, or more properly speaking, as is 

 shown in the sequel, he had me. Aitken threw up 

 his arms and shouted, " I do believe you have got 

 the big one." There was a run about the pool for 



