HIS FIRST FISH 289 



pouring down his face, his temper was gone, and 

 he swore like a regiment of dragoons if the least 

 thing went wrong. At last he succeeded in 

 smashing the top of his rod, and it required all 

 my persuasion to prevent his packing up and 

 going home. However, having some wax and 

 thread with me, I contrived to splice it together 

 for him, and by degrees he grew calmer and more 

 inclined to listen to reason. 



As we worked on he found that, by following 

 my instructions, he was able to dispense with the 

 expenditure of so much muscular exertion, and 

 succeeded in making some few very tolerable 

 casts. All of a sudden a fish came at the 

 fly and hooked himself, a sixteen-pounder ; a 

 rare good fish he was, too, and I gaffed it for 

 him. It was his first fish ; his excitement was 

 intense, and his gratitude to me unbounded. 

 Since that day I have never seen him, I don't 

 even know where he is ; but I can hardly doubt 

 that, having made so successful a debut, he has 

 become an enthusiastic and good fisherman. I 

 am sure I hope so. 



Salmon, when ascending a river, and after they 

 have got well into the fresh water, do not make 

 their way straight up-stream, but take up their 

 quarters in some pool, where they will frequently 

 remain for weeks and months at a time, especially 

 in hot weather. As has been shown, they daily 



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