TACKLE AND FISHING GEAR. 99 



like the Rhodes Colossus from point to point of rock, submerged 

 or projecting, I managed to get across to the other side ; fed 

 rerocare gradum 1 . . . After killing my fish, a very fine fifteen- 

 pounder with the tide lice on him, I was fain to walk a good 

 three miles round before I could find a fordable place. 



Talking of the Roughty reminds me of a gallant and enthu- 

 siastic salmon fisher 'quartered' in the neighbourhood at the 

 same time that I was. The Major was remarkable for his steady 

 absorption of 'poteen,' which he invariably carried, when fishing, 

 in his pocket in a soda water bottle. On one occasion whilst 

 following fast after a fish that was tearing down stream he 

 successfully 'negotiated' a post and rails successfully, that is, 

 as far as the fence was concerned ; but his activity cost him 

 dear, for the sacred soda-water bottle, flapping about in his 

 coat-tail pocket, jerked up as he jumped, striking him in the 

 mouth and knocking two of his front teeth clean out. The 

 gallant Major's language on the occasion I shall not soon 

 forget ! . . . But the Roughty was a real sporting river, and 

 many a break-neck scamper I have had along its channel pity 

 it was so netted and poached. 



I could fill pages, as no doubt most salmon fishers could, 

 with anecdotes of escapes or catastrophes in the wading and 

 ducking line : personal explorations plummet-wise of widths 

 ' obvious ' but depths ' uncertain ' trifling errors in hydrostatics 

 on the force of currents unsuccessful 'negotiations' of the 

 'water jump,' c. &c. For such emergencies wading trousers 

 are decidedly preferable on many grounds to boots or leggings. 

 They are also, I believe, far less dangerous, as, in case of having 

 to swim for it, instead of getting instantly filled with water, the 

 latter takes a ' measurable ' time to make good its entry. An 

 impression used to prevail that in case of sudden immersion 

 the trousers would buoy up the legs at the expense of the head 

 the latter performing the office of a sort of plummet, and of 

 course, barring accidents, involving a certainty of drowning to 

 the wearer. Actual experiment has, however, completely ex- 

 ploded this fallacy. Mr. John Lloyd, junior, who published a 



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