MY FIRST SALMON 229 



true, but still quite good enough for us, and I do 

 not know who was the happier, I or my friend. 

 He had secured his fish, and I had obtained some 

 interesting photographs. 



Later in the afternoon I got my first rise, and 

 honestly speaking, I felt a good deal like the man 

 who, the first time he went salmon fishing, had such 

 a huge rise that he thanked his lucky stars the 

 monster had missed, and immediately went home, 

 for fear the next time the fish might be successful 

 in taking the fly. My fish was not a monster, 

 probably not more than fifteen pounds, but he took 

 the fly on a very long cast, and as he made the first 

 frantic jumps, the rushing water against the belly- 

 ing line proved too much of a strain and the leader 

 parted. Not more than five seconds of intense 

 excitement had I experienced, but the thrill was 

 beyond all things I have ever known, and the sense 

 of loss when the strain so suddenly left the rod was 

 awful. There is nothing more disheartening than 

 the moment when the rod springs back straight, 

 and you realise that you and your fish have parted 

 for ever. 



The following morning we arranged to move 

 camp still further up stream so as to be near the 

 best water. I decided I would try my luck in the 

 pool directly in front of our camp before starting, 

 and before breakfast (about five o'clock) I cast a 

 Jock Scott on the running water at the head of the 

 pool. No sooner had the fly sunk an inch or so 

 than a fish rose rather lazily and without touching 

 the fly. Instead of waiting I immediately cast over 

 the same place, and got another unsuccessful rise. 



