178 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPOKT 



line spun out, for his view of the river was entirely 

 cut off by the impassable rock from the side of 

 which he had made the lucky cast. The line was 

 rightly held to cause it to run over the smoothest 

 part of the jagged rock but, unfortunately, this 

 holding kept the trace along the fish's back, thus 

 urging it on. I have found it best at the beginning 

 of the rush by which the fish means to leave a 

 pool to keep the rod in such position as may tend 

 to bring his head and body sideways. Only a very 

 slight angle is possible at times, but nearly always 

 the fisher can make it sufficient to alter the fish's 

 line of sight, and thereby curb his desire to prolong 

 the rush. It was too late now, had there been a 

 chance, and the salmon had his way, which was 

 down past the Long Ladder Pool, and he was fast 

 approaching the rapid, rocky shoal that must have 

 made a loss inevitable. But by this time I had 

 cast my minnow across Phil's line, and was drawing 

 it towards me, while shouting to him, hidden as he 

 was, to give slack. The fish, well-nigh exhausted, 

 was soon drawn in and gaffed. 



Success such as this for each of his two first 

 efforts might make the oldest salmon fisher imagine 

 he was about to break all records, and the new- 

 comer to our ranks probably wondered whatever 

 he would do with all the salmon that would be his 

 before he was through his holiday. 



Fishers of great experience have wondered and 

 questioned : " Why is it that while it frequently 

 happens that three fish are taken in an hour or so 

 by one or the other of us, only on two occasions 

 as far as the records show have four been taken 

 in a day, and that number not once exceeded ? " 



