Salmon Fishing. 101 



of silver shone for a moment in the sunbeams, 

 and " whirr, rr rr," went the reel ! And say, 

 ye who have heard it, what music is more 

 welcome ? After fighting the fish for a few 

 minutes, I suspected from his manoeuvres, that 

 he was not much to boast of in point of size ; 

 though just as I had got him on a ledge of rock, 

 and told Dan to tail him, the stupid fellow not 

 only lost the fish, but very nearly fell in himself 

 head over heels. " I tell you what, my friend," I 

 said to him, " if you can't tail a fish better than 

 that, you must let me do it myself." 



How many fish have I lost in a similar way f 

 An excitable fellow, like Dan, is about the last 

 assistant I care to have, to tail or gaff a fish for 

 me. Indeed, so much accustomed am I do it 

 myself, that I rarely trust to anyone else now, 

 unless I am aware he can do it properly. Instead 

 of creeping towards him quietly, but quickly, 

 down bundled Dan in the face of the startled 

 fish ; and away dashed the latter down the 

 stream again, and broke loose ; while I was left 



