SALMON FISHING IN LABRADOR. 189 



time that I offered, however, I was more successful, 

 for in striking I hooked the fish foul. The result 

 was curious and far from satisfactory, for this fellow 

 put me through a course of spurts which opened 

 my optics, and further convinced me of the uncer- 

 tainty of the movements or plan of escape that 

 is probable to be adopted by the impaled. What 

 was my surprise and I am confident many others 

 would have been similarly affected to see my victim 

 remain on the surface, not jumping out of the stream, 

 but beating the water with his tail, and violently 

 struggling, making the liquid fly for feet around. For 

 several moments this continued, when, changing opera- 

 tions, down stream he went with surprising velocity. 

 The reel screeched, and I followed with agile and care- 

 ful steps, when, confound it ! the d 1 take it ! 

 readers, you must excuse, remember the aggravation 

 my rod broke at the ferrule of the second joint, and my 

 line returned to my feet like a coil of rope scientifically 

 thrown by an expert boatman. I was in despair. 

 Such damage could not be repaired where I then 

 was ; my leader and new fly were gone, possibly for 

 the estuary of the St. Lawrence, and, like a vessel 

 stranded in a falling tide, I was perfectly helpless. 

 To find the cause of this unexpected casualty was 

 my first endeavour. The wood of the rod at the frac- 



