Voss and the Evanger River. 221 



winter a path has been made, and the angler can now 

 follow his fish. 



As in most pools ending in a rapid, the fish, when 

 hooked here, usually try to go down at some stage of the 

 fight, and to prevent this the angler has two courses 

 open, either to never allow him to run from the very start, 

 or to let him run on the chance of his hesitating (which 

 they usually do), before going down the rapid, and then 

 to haul him up by main force, or with slight tension to 

 "kid" him up a bit before taking him hard by the 

 head. 



I have killed them all ways, and am uncertain which 

 is the best, but at the commencement of the season, with 

 treble-gut, I generally hold them hard, and never give a 

 foot of line. In this manner I killed with single-gut* 

 a fish of 24 lbs. in seven minutes, and another of 18 lbs. 

 in three minutes, counting from the time of hooking until 

 they were on the bank ; and so thoroughly killed were 

 they by this severe treatment that, when alongside, 

 they were quiet as logs ; but I doubt if one could 

 do this with a rod much less powerful than a 20-ft. Castle- 

 connell. 



I am not in the habit of taking the time upon hooking 

 a fish, as I attach no importance to the timing system, 



* Cast of two yards treble and one yard single gut supplied by 

 F. M. Walbran at -is. per cast. 



