THE SALMON. 135 



the moment he has gained the other side. As I have 

 said before, his object seems to have been achieved, 

 because from the absence of the strain he vainly 

 assumes that it is so. In a rocky stream it is 

 always advisable to use triple gut next to the 

 hook, as though one strand may be cut, the others 

 will still hold ; but, as a rule, I hold twisted gut in 

 abomination, and invariably fish with three or four 

 round sound links next the fly, which will be found 

 strong enough, if properly handled, to land a shark. 

 I have elsewhere compared the running of a fish 

 with that of a fox, but the analogy would be more 

 perfect if compared with that of a horse that has 

 broken loose. A fox in a country full of small 

 coverts, lanes, and spinneys, runs short and dodges, 

 because he wisely expects thereby to bewilder his 

 pursuers. A salmon in a confined rocky stream 

 runs short and dodges about for the same reason 

 that a horse in a confined space runs short and 

 dodges about ; he is afraid of running against or 

 upon the opposing obstacles. Give the runaway 

 horse a free open plain, and he stretches away at 

 full speed ; give the salmon an extent of free open 

 water, and he will run you out all the line you will 

 permit, and frequently a great deal more than you 

 ought to permit ; indeed, the great secret in killing 

 a salmon is to restrict him as far as possible in the 



