MEMORIES OF EARLY DAYS 263 



suddenly and swallow the top fly, and a large 

 heavy body went down stream pulling out the 

 line. I shouted " A salmon ! " and the old gillie 

 came hurrying to my side. His first words were 

 "We shall never get him," against which I pro- 

 tested with rage, and he partially retracted and 

 set to work to advise me. We could not follow 

 the fish downward, but he hove to about twenty 

 yards below us and hung steady in the stream. 

 We turned the trout rod up stream and held it 

 still, keeping a steady strain upon the fish, and 

 waited for what seemed an age without result; 

 but the good old man encouraged me when 

 I grew faint-hearted, and kept me patient. 

 Eventually the fish began to yield. We gained 

 line foot by foot, and more than once got the 

 fish up stream nearly opposite the pier, but it saw 

 us and dropped back each time to the old place 

 down stream. At last amidst great excitement it 

 was coaxed past the pier, in a moment was in 

 the backwater above it, and to my astonishment 

 was then almost at once exhausted and landed. 

 It was a grilse of about six pounds, and rather 

 red, but the distinction between grilse and 

 salmon, between red fish and fresh run fish, was 



