A LUCKY CAST. 137 



Whatever you do, have nothing to say to multiplying 

 reels : they are apt to betray you in the hour of trial. 



My first discovery of their insufficiency for heavy 

 fish created some embarrassment at the time. I had a 

 pet multiplier, which ran beautifully, and which I had 

 long used for trout fishing. As it was sufficiently large 

 to contain a salmon line, I employed it for that purpose 

 also, till it began to get ricketty with the more heavy 

 work. One day, the water being fallen in, and the 

 morning also being sunny, so as to exclude the expec- 

 tation of killing a salmon, I put some trout tackle at 

 the end of my line, which was on the said reel, and 

 began trouting in Bolside-water. In the course of the 

 day a cloud passed before the sun ; and at the same 

 time, as is usually the case, a slight breeze arose and 

 ruffled the surface of the water. I hastened to change 

 my tackle, and substituted a small salmon fly in place 

 of the trout ones : small, because, as I have said, the 

 water was quite fallen in. Though many years have 

 passed over my head since that time, I remember this 

 fly well. His wings were of the clear brown feather 

 from the bittern; his body of black wool, with a hackle 

 of the same colour ; and his tail of a very pronounced 

 yellow, being made of the feather of a golden pheasant ; 

 red he was in the head, and altogether of a very 

 commendable and alluring aspect. The curl on the 

 water still continuing, I whisked him off gaily. At 

 the very second throw, the pool being somewhat dead, 

 I saw the water heave up, advancing in a wave towards 

 me. I waited patiently for the break, which was a 

 slight one, but pleasant and beauteous to behold. This 



