26 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



still more till he is sure of it, and knows that some- 

 thing alive is resisting him. After'that he must keep 

 the line between his rod and that something taut, 

 without pulling too hard. 



For a time there will be violent jerks at the end 

 of the line, and in answer to each the rod-point 

 must be lowered a little. There may even be a 

 rush into the stream, in which case the line must 

 be released by the fore-finger which has been 

 holding it, and a yard or two will be drawn off the 

 reel by the fish. This line must be wound on 

 again as soon as possible, which will be when the 

 fish ceases to swim in the opposite direction, and to 

 do that the rod must be transferred to the left 

 hand, so that the right may turn the handle of the 

 reel. This is the moment when the line is liable to 

 get slack, but if it is passed safely the rest is easy. 

 The fish gets weaker, its rushes and jerks less 

 powerful, and finally it can be pulled gently to the 

 surface, beaten. The word " gently " must not be 

 taken to mean half-heartedly. In playing a fish it 

 is well to combine the two methods of suaviter in 

 modo and fortiter in re. At first the novice will 

 not know how much strain his gut will stand, and 

 it is better to err on the side of caution till he finds 

 out, which he will before long. Next, still without 

 slackening line, the novice takes up his net, which 



