THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



75 



i 



away. Every good salmon-fisher has a tolerably 

 correct notion what strain his tackle will bear, and 

 holds his fish with a firm, though, when required, 

 not unyielding hand, and keeps him constantly 

 moving. The combined effect of fear and violent 

 exertion produces, I am inclined to think, a sort of 

 apoplexy, or fit of stupor, in the fish ; and whenever 

 he is suspected to be in such a state he ought to 

 be landed as soon as possible, before he recovers. I 

 have seen a large trout quite stupid and exhausted 

 when brought towards the shore, but, in conse- 

 quence of not being quickly landed, recover his 

 strength, and break away. The moment that an 

 angler brings his fish towards the shore, he. ought 

 to be prepared to land him. 



FISHER. I quite agree with you that both 

 salmon and trout are seized, in consequence of 

 their struggles and their fright, with something 

 like a fit, which, for a time, renders them power- 

 less. Perhaps when they are so hooked that the 

 mouth cannot be regularly closed when the line is 

 held tight, their free breathing may be interrupted, 

 and similar effects produced in a fish as in a human 

 subject when his cravat is tightly twisted in the 

 murderous gripe of a cowardly antagonist. When- 

 ever you have brought a fish, in such a state, to the 

 shore, net him or gaff him directly. Have the 

 "click" into him wherever you best can, and do 

 not tickle him to his senses again by two or three 

 misdirected attempts at his gills, for fear of ripping 



