A WORD OF ADVICE. 95 



most astonishing power and activity, bending my rod like 

 a willow wand, and making my arms quiver again ; his 

 runs were so strenuous and rapid, that one of my fingers 

 coming in contact with the line, was deeply cut by it. 

 After various manoeuvres on his part (which I would fain 

 hope I defeated with some degree of dexterity), he at length 

 darted down the stream, and ran out nearly all my line ; 

 then he shot suddenly across the river, and went up under 

 the opposite bank : I pulled strenuously, but my line 

 seemed fixed to one particular spot ; and whilst I was 

 looking at that spot, where I conceived the monster to be, 

 I just glimpsed him about twenty yards above, lunging out 

 of the river, lashing his huge tail, and towing my tackle 

 after him. Soon after this my line came up quite easily, 

 and upon examination I found it about fifteen yards minus 

 of its fair proportion. As for the salmon, I never saw or 

 heard of him again." 



" Aye ! In Scotland this is what we call being drowned ; 

 meaning that the line is so, the action of the current and 

 weight of water forming it into an immense curve, from 

 which position it can with difficulty be extricated; but 

 when you next hook any thing resembling Jormungandr, 

 you had better endeavour to take the management into 

 your own hands, and not suffer the snake or salmon, as it 

 may be, to manage you ; and if he runs out your line with 

 a rush down the stream, follow, wind up, and keep above 

 him ; should he then attempt to cross, keep your line as 

 short as you can, hold your rod aloft, and give him the 

 butt. For if you once suffer him to cross to the opposite 

 bank with so long a line as you appear to have had, he will 

 not become your property never shall you rejoice over his 

 tinselled sides as he lies glittering on the pebbles. Some 

 water-elf (for such, I am told, there are in Norway) never 

 fails to interpose a great stone or rock between you and 

 your fish ; you toddle up the river all too late ; and your 

 tackle, assuming Hogarth's line of beauty, bears against 

 this obstruction ; the salmon pulling on one side against 

 the concealed rock, and you unwittingly on the other ; so 

 that betwixt your united efforts, a fracture must inevitably 

 take place, were your line even as strong as that used in 



