DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 71 



paled the fisher's face, and then a rush and second 

 leap spun the reel with vigour and flushed her face 

 with hope, and she relieved her lungs with a breath 

 to say : " I have him still." Knowing the treacherous 

 bottom to which the fish dug his way so many times 

 and the slender wrist that held the rod seconds 

 seemed minutes to me and the battle terribly 

 prolonged. 



While I was waiting for a chance to net the fish 

 he once came so near that I could see the worn 

 slender hold the hook had, and, no doubt, the fisher 

 saw it, too, for after that she lessened her opposi- 

 tion to the fish's will. I feared the consequence of 

 this would be that he would seek for safety once 

 again near the bottom, and my hope of ever net- 

 ting him faded, but, fortunately, he had not suffici- 

 ent breath remaining to do more than circle round 

 near the surface. There are those who say fish 

 may gain their second breath if given a too easy 

 time, but my experience teaches that a game fish 

 needs little spurring beyond his dread of being 

 held. 



Gentle as the handling was, the fish soon after 

 this came on its side and, by a slight strain on the 

 line, was being brought inch by inch towards the 

 net and in an instant more it would have been in 

 it when he lifted his head and banged it back in 

 such a way that a loss was certain had not the 

 angler been watchful and dropped the rod point in 

 the nick of time. This movement of the head ex- 

 tended wavelike along the body to the tail and 

 gave an impetus to the oncoming fish that caused 

 it to glide by the net too fast for me to dare to 

 make a try for him, although I knew there was 



