64 Salmon Fishing. 



Fortunately for us, we do look for something 

 beside the naked fact of killing fish. Passion- 

 ately fond of the country, what more favourable 

 opportunities can we have of seeing nature in 

 every phase of attraction and beauty, than when 

 wandering rod in hand, by the side of a river that 

 runs on for miles upon miles, through diversities 

 of scenery, that must otherwise have remained 

 sealed to our eyes ? 



Besides, we must not forget that, in salmon- 

 fishing, as in everything else, too great a glut of 

 sport on a few favourable occasions would sadly 

 unsettle us, when a failure or two followed subse- 

 quently. Our hands would soon tire of wielding 

 the rod, and watching hour after hour, though in 

 vain, for the silver-spangled spectre, that comes 

 like a meteor to dazzle and delight us. Our 

 patience too that had for a time no strain upon 

 it, when salmon after salmon rose without stint, 

 what would it be just afterwards, when tried and 

 tortured for hours, nay, days together, with no 

 success to reward us for our efforts. 



