AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 201 



cast my bait for the spot. It fell within a few 

 inches of land, and, as I raised the point of my 

 rod to keep the bait free from the large stones until 

 another foot or two in the stream, I felt the line 

 tighten, and, with a quick, bold stroke, I was into 

 a fish. 



Now, between banks there were thirty yards of 

 rushing river, through which my fish must come 

 that I might have control and not be hampered 

 by length of line in such a stream. Ford, too, 

 seeing the danger of his going down where I could 

 not follow, called to me to hold all I could. It is 

 generally well to give a fish the butt when he runs 

 from you, but in such a case as this it is at a very 

 different angle at which you must operate, as the 

 strain necessary is greater than any rod can stand. 

 When it comes to hold or break it is a question of 

 strength of line with little help from rod. 



I held until I could feel the line stretch and 

 stretch, and, knowing that the break would come, 

 I determined to adopt an old plan of mine which 

 has succeeded more than once to give him line as 

 quickly as I could. This did not answer as fully, 

 or as quickly, as I have sometimes known it to do. 

 When I tightened up I found my fish was below 

 the pool behind a rock in mid-stream. 



For a full half hour four persons, two on either 

 side, worked with a will, more than one with hat 

 off, stoning the sulky rascal. At last it came back 

 with a rush, and, fortunately, to my side, where I 



