FLY FISH1MO. 71 



striving to rend the line asunder, when he suddenly catches a view 

 of the powerful monster he has to contend with, and actuated by 

 extreme terror he rushes on with mad impetuosity he knows not 

 where, but finds his course impeded by a power which, though 

 apparently yielding to his force, yet speedily exhausts his strength. 

 He then endeavours to make for the bottom, to hide himself 

 among the weeds and stones, but still the same power keeps him 

 in check, and as he looks hopelessly around for succour he encoun- 

 ters the eye of his foe gazing intently upon him. He can read no 

 mercy there. It is indeed fearful ; far too fearful to look upon, 

 and he strives in vain to avoid a gaze so dreadful : but there is no 

 escaping from it all his efforts are fruitless the plaint rod has 

 subdued all his energies and he is dragged passively down the 

 current, so exhausted as to be unable to resist being drawn to the 

 very surface of the stream, whose waters rushing rapidly through 

 his mouth and gills produce a feeling of suffocation a faint and 

 sickly dizziness obscures his senses, and he is hauled powerless 

 towards the bank. A hand is extended and roughly seizes on the 

 line to guide him towards the fatal landing net. The dead strain 

 causes the barbed steel to penetrate more deeply into the lacerated 

 wound, the pain of which again awakens him to consciousness ; he 

 makes one weak effort in very desperation from the agony he 

 feels the flesh torn away He is free ! and is borne safely onwards 

 by the friendly current far, far beyond the power of the relentless 

 monster who so lately held him captive. 



" I tell you what, my fine fellow,'' says the old angler, who 

 still holds the unwetted landing net, " if you had'nt touched the line 

 the chances are you would have caught that fish. 



And so he most probably would, aud as 



Experience bought , 



Is experience taught, 



or as more learned men might express the same ideas, 



Experienta docet, 



Them what feels it knows it ; 



I think we may venture to predicate from the premises that 

 the scholar will not lay hold of his line in the same clumsy awk- 

 ward manner should he chance to hook another fish. Thus it is 

 with angling as with many other of our worldly matters, and 

 through much tribulation is it that an angler hoards up wisdom. 



