38 WILD SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



a momentary glance of the broad and fan-like tail. 

 " He is fifteen pound weight ! " Obedient to the 

 directions of my mentor, I left the spot the salmon 

 leaped in, and commenced casting a dozen yards below 

 it. Gradually I came over him again. " A light cast, 

 Frank, and you have him ! " I tried, and succeeded 

 gallantly. I sent the fly across the water with the 

 lightness of the thistle's down as at the same moment 

 the breeze eddied up the stream, and curled the surface 

 deliciously. A long, dull ruffle succeeded whish ! 

 span the wheel ; whish-h-h-h-h, whish-h-h, whish ! I 

 have him ! 



Nothing can be more beautiful than the play of a 

 vigorous salmon. The lubberly struggles of a pond- 

 fish are execrable to him who has felt the exquisite 

 pleasure that attends the conquest of " the monarch 

 of the stream." His bold rushes his sudden and 

 rapid attempts to liberate himself from the fisher's 

 thrall the energy with which he throws his silver body 

 three or four feet above the surface of the water and 

 the unwearied and incessant opposition he makes, until 

 his strength is exhausted by the angler's science ; all 

 this must be experienced to be adequately conceived. 

 In ten minutes I mastered my beautiful victim ; and 

 Mortien Beg gaffed and landed a splendid summer 

 fish, which, if the cook's scales be correct, weighed 

 thirteen pounds and seven ounces. 



Overjoyed with my success, I proceeded up the 

 river. My cousin brought me to several delightful 

 pools ; and, with his assistance, I raised and hooked 

 several capital fish, but only landed one of them, a nice 

 and active salmon of about eight pounds weight. From 

 half a dozen white trout fresh from the sea I received 



