Salmon Fishing. 151 



to myself his aid would not be required. Although 

 no great master of the art of throwing a line 

 myself, I have a very inquiring eye as to the 

 skill of others in this respect. Such an exhi- 

 bition did I never witness before. The length 

 of his line (I speak within compass) did not 

 exceed ten yards; and yet the labour, not 

 with his arms only, but apparently his whole 

 body, to get it out, was excessive. The most 

 surprising part of the spectacle however was 

 the variety of attitudes he kept throwing him- 

 self into. Perhaps he was shewing off before 

 his admiring young wife, how accomplished an 

 artist he was ; and how incomparably superior 

 to the common herd of pretenders. Oh, thought 

 I, if you could but hook a wicked cock-fish of 

 some weight ! What would I not give to witness 

 the fight? Speedily, however, did I descend 

 to the conclusion that, to wait for such a sight, 

 would be tantamount to waiting till the days 

 diminished in length, and the summer died away 

 altogether. As long as decency would permit, 



