THE YORE. 139 



sounded as he made a brilliant rush down stream, running 

 off the line as he went. In manoeuvres such as these a 

 quarter of an hour soon passed, and then for the first time 

 since the struggle commenced the captive fish began to show 

 signs of weakness, rolling over and showing his silvery sides 

 as my companion gradually led him to the shallow water, 

 where I stood ready, gaff in hand. Not wishing to spoil 

 the appearance of the fish, I try to insert it near to his 

 gills, but not being quick enough to do so, he makes another 

 rush out into deep water. Again he is drawn gently up, 

 and this time, after making another unsuccessful effort to 

 reach him with the gaff, I throw it on one side, seize the 

 fish by the root of his tail with both hands, and ran him 

 out, head foremost, on to the gravel, a splendid salmon of 

 161bs. weight. Great was our delight at such an auspicious 

 commencement ; but angling is undoubtedly one of the 

 most uncertain of sports ; for, although during the course 

 of the day, my friend succeeded in rising other three good 

 fish, fairly hooking one of them, the first was his only fish. 

 On the other hand, I fished up to one o'clock and only 

 basketed a solitary grayling ; but after an al fresco lunch, I 

 had a reversal of fortune, and when hungry and tired I 

 reached my inn at five o'clock in the evening, I had twenty 

 fine grayling in my pannier. 



Halcyon days ! from an angler's point of view, how 

 pleasant it is to recall them to one's memory. Very many 

 such have I spent on the banks of the stream that I love 

 so well, and earnestly do I hope that many others are in 

 store for me in the future. 



1 have wandered, rod in hand, along the banks of the 

 winding Wye, and thrown the mimic fly upon the crystal 

 waters of the Dove, admiring meantime the charming 

 scenery of that lovely valley so dear to the memory of Isaac 

 Walton, the father of all anglers. I have killed trout in 

 the rocky streams of North Wales, and gazed on the glory 

 K 



