176 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPOUTS. 



when four times lie sprang with determined energy 

 from his watery home, each spring causing me, in 

 courtesy, to lower the point of my weapon, as an inferior 

 would salute a senior officer; but this steeple-chase 

 escapade had not the desired effect, and the salmon, 

 comprehending this, altered his plan of combat, and 

 settled down deep in the pellucid river, remaining im- 

 movable and inactive, although far from conquered. 

 An occasion of this kind is a trying ordeal, and often 

 as dangerous to the tackle as any stratagem that is 

 put in practice ; in fact, I have thought that it is 

 practised for the purpose of rubbing their snout on the 

 rocks or gravel, as frequently I have found, after kill- 

 ing a fish who had thus performed, that my fly was 

 much frayed and worn. 



After waiting for many minutes, trusting that my 

 foe would change his mind and his quarters, I became 

 impatient, and believing my tackle to be good, put on 

 a little extra purchase ; this ruse was successful, for 

 with astounding velocity the fish started down stream, 

 at racing pace, for parts unknown. The reel fairly 

 yelled, and instead of the well-made sonorous click 

 being heard, a discordant screech was its utterance. 

 Close on a hundred yards of line rushed through the 

 heated rings before he slackened up, and a good twenty 

 yards more I had followed his course ; at the end of 



