36 MOOSE-HUNTING, SALMON-FISHING, ETC 



Wasn't he a bouncer? " Now, Sol, look 

 out! make sure work of it ! " He raised the 

 gaff and put it into him. When the salmon 

 felt it, he jumped towards the boat, and was 

 clear. As I was holding him with all the 

 tension my tip would bear when he sprang, 

 snap went the tip, and snap also went the 

 cast, while the salmon went floundering away 

 from us. Was not that hard luck, reader ? 



It needs no great flight of imagination to 

 picture the happiness of the two fellows in 

 the boat. " Dang the salmon ! I wish I had 

 not seen him ! " went ruthlessly from my lips. 

 He was so near, and yet now so far. Old 

 Sol ejaculated, " Too bad ! too bad ! " We 

 were so sure of him when he was within gaff- 

 length, that the thought of losing him never 

 occurred to us. Had Sol gaffed him from 

 underneath, which is the proper way, when he 

 jumped and lifted the gaff, he would still have 

 had him on it. This taught us both a lesson, 

 which, if you have not learned it yet, reader, 

 you had better now, and put it into practice 

 on each and every fish you get hold of. It 

 is often said the biggest fish are those the 

 fishermen lose, but if I ever saw or caught a 



