THE FIRST RUSH. 1G5 



length of line as I advanced, and almost prophe- 

 tically feeling, as I neared it, that the long rest I 

 had given the pool, assisted by the change of fly 

 and tackle, would rouse him to activity. Yes ! he 

 has it this time. A violent chuck under water 

 that would infallibly have broken any but the very 

 best gut, and whish sh sh, away he went like 

 a runaway horse, carrying off sixty yards of line 

 in a few seconds, towards the far side of the river. 

 A momentary pause followed, but before I could 

 avail myself of it, another rush succeeded in the 

 same direction, and with dismay I saw that my 

 reel was nearly empty and that my fish was 

 already not far from the spot where a friend 

 another piscator, who had just arrived stood up 

 to his waist in the water at the opposite side of 

 the pool, awaiting the issue of the combat before 

 commencing operations himself. Away went the 

 salmon again up-stream at a tremendous pace, 

 trying to drown the hissing line as it cut its way 

 through the opposing current, and I had to hurry 

 along the bank to outflank him, expecting every 

 moment before I could accomplish that manrcuvre 

 the usual spring into the air, and that tin- somer- 

 sault, delivered backwards, would break it u very 

 probable contingency under the circumstances. 

 But no ; he still continued his rapid course under 



