OF THE ERNE. 23 



fish himself has very little inclination to do ; 

 and then the high standing ground, the un- 

 limited range of deep water, uninterrupted 

 by danger of any kind, and the gentleness of 

 the current, give the fisherman every pos- 

 sible advantage. There is a tradition of an 

 immense fish hooked here that never was 

 checked, but gallantly took the falls and 

 made off to sea with some score yards of 

 line behind him. This mav be true, but 

 certain it is that no ordinary fish, well 

 hooked, ought ever to be lost here. 



For many reasons, however, the bridge is 

 a disagreeable throw, and is avoided by all 

 real fishermen, except so far as a casual cast 

 as they pass up the river ; though more fish 

 are killed from it than from any other place 

 whatever, except perhaps from a boat on the 

 pool itself: here the range is greater, and 

 from the power of making, under all circum- 

 stances, a fair wind, the whole is fished with 

 facility and effect. From this cause less 

 skill is required here than on the wild open 

 river, while there is little or no difficulty in 

 killing the fish when once hooked, as the 

 whole bottom of this great sheet of water is 



