140 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



hooked, sir, fast hooked. Do you see anything 

 green- " 



He was stopped short in the sentence by an 

 alarming rush of the salmon, who shot forward up 

 the stream, and took out the whole of the line of 

 the consenting party to the tune of 120 yards. 

 Now it is a wholesome rule to make fast the end 

 of the line, by running it through a hole in the 

 cylinder of the reel, and tying some knots at the 

 extremity to secure it ; and as this rule is whole- 

 some, so it has been practised time immemorial by 

 all sagacious persons, and even by some who are 

 not very sagacious. But there are exceptions to 

 all rules, and our man had neglected this caution ; 

 consequently, the line, being all run out, vanished 

 at once through the rings of the rod, and streamed 

 fair and ample below the surface of the water. 

 The mermaid may, but that line shall no terrestrial 

 ever see again. 



"Demnition hard that, sir. What an extra- 

 ordinary incident ! Fish well managed, dexter- 

 ously, artistically. Very odd indeed, sir : beauti- 

 fully played; fine rod, fine hand. Demnition 

 hard, I must say. Now how far must I go to 

 get a line ? " 



" If you mean to get the same, probably to the 

 middle of the Irish Channel, or the mouth of the 

 Shannon ; but if you seek a new one, which I 

 think would be the most prudent course, walk up 

 to the road, and you will see a milestone, which 

 says, 'To Inverness 120 miles,' exactly a mile for 

 every yard of line you have lost, and I am sorry 

 for it." 



