SALMON AND TROUT MEMORIES 



sided beauties the ten salmon made, all laid out on a sloping 

 water-worn rock, and in due course photographed in the rays 

 of a northern sun. There were two grilse as well, but these 

 we thought nothing of, and subsequently took to marking 

 and turning back all such youthful salmon caught, to mature 

 for another year. 



Occasionally on this our river fishermen get a " right and 

 left " of salmon ; that is to say a salmon, hooked on each rod 

 simultaneously. It happened to me one day at any rate, and we 

 managed — Ole and I — to land them both, a 27-pounder and 

 a 17-pounder respectively. I was mildly proud of the feat, 

 as it involved my playing a 27-lb. salmon with the left 

 hand, after being landed from the boat, while I simultaneously 

 gaffed the 17-lb. fish — played to a standstill by Ole — ^with 

 the right hand. After that, of course, Ole resumed his proper 

 function with the gaff, and the 27-lb. fish was also duly 

 gaffed. 



How these Nordland salmon — fresh-run, early summer fish 

 — did fight, to be sure ! One hundred and fifty yards of line 

 were constantly run out without a stop. Many a time my 

 fingers were blistered with checking line or reel during a 

 furious rush. Below our pool was a rapid, navigable in a boat, 

 but still a rapid. It was considered injra dig. by old habitues of 

 our river to be compelled to go down the rapid after a salmon ; 

 besides, it was loss of time. But about one fish in five gener- 

 ally managed to take us down the rapid all the same, and so 

 added to the excitement of the sport. 



A day or two after my ten-fish morning I had another record 



97 G 



