326 ' WHAT WILL HE DO WITH IT ? ' 



or other undesirable spot where you cannot follow nor 

 stop him, you must but him. Some writers describe this 

 by recommending you to throw the end of the but well 

 forward, presenting it to the fish as it were, and putting the 

 rod well to or over your shoulder. But this is not butting 

 the fish ; it is middle-jointing him, and if you want to 

 strain your middle joint beyond redemption the very 

 best plan to adopt is to follow this advice. If it becomes 

 necessary to but a fish, the less circular the position taken 

 by the rod the more the strain falls on the but. Only 

 try, by lifting a weight, in which way the rod will carry 

 most. Let the angler place the but of the rod against his 

 stomach, and hold the rod pointing out and away from 

 him, at an angle of 45 as nearly as possible. If the re- 

 sistance becomes very strong, he may raise it a few 

 degrees ; but it should never, unless he wishes to strain 

 the middle of his rod, reach the perpendicular, far less go 

 beyond it. 



As I have already said, some anglers play a salmon 

 heavily and some lightly, and this is a moot point which 

 is the most advantageous. Now, there are times when 

 you must ' hang on ' to a fish, and it becomes a question of 

 4 breaker or maker ; ' but when there is no absolute neces- 

 sity for this, I see no advantage in straining one's rod and 

 reducing the brilliant play of a salmon to a sullen game 

 of * pulley hauley,' to the wear and tear of tackle. My 

 own plan is always to play a fish firmly never timidly, 

 that is certain destruction; but while bearing on him 

 smartly and more smartly to the end, not needlessly to 

 make work for the rod-maker. As to whether light or 

 heavy play kills the most fish, I do not think it can be 

 definitely decided. 



The artifices of salmon are multifarious, and can only 

 be combated according to circumstances. ' Sulking ' is a 

 common one, particularly with heavy fish ; and a fish will 



