HVILESTED. THE UPPER WATER 161 



farm and harness the pony, when we saw that our host 

 had hooked something out of the common near the 

 bottom of the pool. He was on the bank running 

 for all he was worth, his reel screaming and his rod 

 bent double. Of course we at once jumped out and 

 followed to see the fun. Once there was a short check 

 and breathing space, but only for a moment, for five 

 minutes later the gallant fish, making light of all the 

 strain put upon him, had actually reached the foaming 

 white water at the bend just above an impracticable 

 rapid. It seemed " all Lombard Street to a China 

 orange" that he would escape, and take the whole 

 " bag of tricks " with him reel, line, backing, cast, and 

 the " saxpenny flee" but the gallant sportsman who 

 had hold of him did not abandon hope. He said that 

 there was still just a chance of coaxing him into a 

 small eddy on the right, which might bring him back 

 into the long still backwater which formed the hinder 

 boundary of the bank of shingle on which we stood. 

 Eagerly we watched while a mixture of gentle per- 

 suasion and intelligent pressure brought the big fish 

 round, and all breathed again as he sailed about in the 

 perfectly still water. The first time he came within 

 arm's-length Gunder got the net under him, but he 

 was too big for it, and flopped heavily out to have 

 another run for his life. Five minutes more exhausted 

 his strength, and he was towed in and gaffed. 



I caught my nine -pounder quite early the same 

 evening more than half a mile higher up in the long 

 rapid stream at the very top of our water where we 

 marched with Stor Fahle, and he certainly gave me 

 an exciting time in the strong water on my little 

 eleven-foot rod. I hooked him on a small double- 



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