CHAPTER XI 



ODD INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS ALONG 

 THE RIVER 



You will have many queer experiences with 

 salmon no matter how skilful you may think you 

 have grown. Perhaps they are needed to humble 

 your pride and bring you down to earth once more. 

 One day on the Upsalquitch, Mr. Monell and I 

 were fishing together. We made an agreement to 

 fish in the following manner in order to see which 

 was the best way to take the fish at that particular 

 stage of the water. We were alternately to fish 

 each pool with a dry and a wet fly. The dry fly 

 was to be used over the pool first, because it would 

 not disturb the fish. On the first pool it was his 

 turn first with the dry fly. He caught one ten- 

 pound fish and sat down contentedly to watch me 

 try with a wet fly. I was on my mettle because 

 he was always chaffing and making fun of me, so 

 I fished my very best; it was no use, cast as I 

 would, I could not start a single fish. At last in 

 disgust I made the longest cast I could to the tail 

 of the pool. Getting no rise, I threw the rod over 



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