208 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 



probable that I should ever wet my line in such another 

 salmon river. The number of fish I had killed was not 

 so extraordinary, for I had not entirely devoted myself 

 to the sport, had bad luck in breaking tackle, and lay 

 off for many hours during the middle of each day ; 

 however, here there was no fear of a jealous antagonist 

 cutting in before you, flogging your favourite pool, or, 

 perhaps, on your arrival, finding him fast in the only 

 fish in the river at that time on the feed. 



If there is one thing in the world more trying than 

 another to a man's temper, it is the above misfortune ; 

 and I often fear that though the tongue be tipped with 

 courtesy and politeness, very far from amicable feelings 

 are dominant in the heart ; but because a favourite 

 resort has just been threshed over, that is no reason 

 you should not make an essay. Salmon are fastidious 

 and fickle, and possibly the allurements you can offer 

 will please their ideas more than all the blandishments 

 of the first visitor. An acquaintance, not long ago, 

 told me the following, which will prove the truth of 

 the above. Some years since he was disappointed on 

 arriving on his fishing ground, by finding one of the 

 most successful anglers hard at work. Disheartened, 

 perhaps, but not discouraged from making a trial, he 

 put his rod together and commenced operations, the 

 result of which was, that in a short time he had 



