A DAY AT LOUGH MELVIN. 5J 



line at each end, the reels being fixed to 

 two short trolling-rods. These are managed 

 by two fishermen, one at each rod, who are 

 perfectly certain to quarrel furiously before 

 the day is over. The cross-line method is 

 certainly more killing, though it is still ob- 

 noxious to the same fault as the otter, that 

 of pricking and shying the fish ; but it re- 

 quires two boats, or that one fisherman 

 should sacrifice himself, by walking on the 

 shore, with a pretty fair certainty of tum- 

 bling in while he is scrambling round the 

 trees and bushes which grow on the banks. 



The Squire, who was hardly active enough 

 to succeed very well with the otter, yielded 

 readily enough, and the line was unbent 

 from the obnoxious machine, w T hich was 

 again consigned to Paddy Mooshlan's keep- 

 ing, and two stout pike-rods were substituted 

 for it. 



" Now, Mr. Scholar," said the Squire, as 

 he stepped into that which was destined to 

 be the in-shore boat, "lam an old Hamp- 

 shire cross-line fisher ; and I will tell you a 

 rule that we made there. Nothing that is 

 said by either party, while managing the 

 cross-lines, goes for anything after those 



