A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



he treats with more respect than is his wont. 

 He is merely a little out of practice, and 

 within the space of an hour or so he can 

 scarcely credit that the rod has for so long 

 been laid aside. 



The temperature and weather in Cumber- 

 land may vary much in different seasons, but 

 at some time or another during the spring 

 months, even in a somewhat sheltered valley 

 like that of the Eden, the angler is sure to 

 encounter rough winds bearing rain, hail, sleet, 

 or snow, and he should be clad accordingly. 

 The gusty blasts come hard and stiff as they 

 strike up the valley direct from the eastern 

 fells, and although there is a fair show of fish 

 in the water most of them will ignore the 

 best efforts of both head and hand, contenting 

 themselves with occasional graceful leaps above 

 the surface of the pools. Yet by careful 

 and diligent fishing the angler should pick 

 up an odd fish or two now and again, and 

 under the circumstances should not be 

 altogether dissatisfied ; indeed my experience 

 is that one rarely fails to get one chance a day 

 whatever the weather and water may be like. 



To-day as he walks to the water the air 

 seems rather softer, and of wind there is so 

 little that it is difficult to tell whence it 

 springs. The sky is completely cloud- 

 covered, and as he descends the steep brow 

 of the hill the pool below appears in excellent 

 trim, and he remarks to his companion : 'If 

 fish don't take to-day they never will ! ' As 

 the angler reaches the pool the air has become 

 yet milder, and fearful that the sun may 

 penetrate the clouds he splices his rod in haste, 

 runs the line quickly through the rings and 

 loops on the well soaked cast and fly. 



One cast two casts three casts when, 

 as the fly is hanging almost straight down 

 stream, the surface of the water is agitated, 

 and in the turmoil a few inches of a dorsal fin 

 for an instant catch the eye, and immediately 

 the tip of a tail cleaves the surface and dis- 

 appears. The line draws almost impercep- 

 tibly, the rod-top tells no tale, and the fisher, 

 with that restraint and confidence acquired 

 by long practice, allows a second or so 

 to elapse ere he moves a muscle. Those 

 seconds seem as minutes, but the sand surely 

 runs from the glass ; a sharp, firm strike 

 bends the rod down to the hand, and the 

 line is tight indeed. The dreaded sunlight 

 permits of no dallying, and with scant 

 ceremony the fish is run up the gravel strand 

 a fine fresh run salmon of near upon 

 20 Ib. 



There is no time to waste, so the fly speeds 

 forth again, and at the very third cast it is 

 taken savagely under water with no surface 



rise. A powerful fish indeed, but the best of 

 single gut permits of his being rattled up the 

 strand ere he scarce appreciates his dilemma ; 

 his weight is 18 Ib. 



A slight rift in the clouds now gives 

 passage to feeble golden rays, and without 

 delay the jock-scot is again dismissed upon its 

 errand. 



Twice does the double-hooked 3^0 com- 

 plete its course unmolested, but, curious to 

 relate, again at the third time of asking it is 

 arrested in its progress over those sunken 

 moss-begrown rocks. This time the fish 

 fairly races at the fly, and before any strike is 

 possible the impetus of his rush lifts him high 

 above the pool's surface. There is a moment 

 of doubt and suspense, but fortunately the fly 

 is fast, and so it remains until released from 

 his jaw as he rests upon the green sward, side 

 by side with his brothers in misfortune, the 

 three weighing 20 Ib., i81b. and 21 Ib. 

 Three fine spring fish killed in nine casts 

 within the space of forty minutes, whereas the 

 previous week of hard fishing had only yielded 

 a like result. Such was the luck of salmon 

 fishing upon the Eden, and I hope may be 

 again. The last fish was not hooked a moment 

 too soon, for as he came to bank the river was 

 aglow with sunlight and further attempt was 

 useless until eventide. 



Towards the end of March the days are 

 getting long, and the sun grows in power, so, 

 even with the water in order, it is not good to 

 fish during the mid-day hours, unless indeed 

 the weather be dull. Better sport will pro- 

 bably be enjoyed with the trout rod, for on or 

 about the 22nd of the month the March- 

 browns will come sailing down the necks of 

 the pools to meet their fate in the slower 

 running water lower down. 



The seasons differ much as regards trout- 

 fishing. The trout are there sure enough, but 

 during long spells of cold dry weather they 

 feed upon the bed of the river, and when the 

 water is low and fine they are extremely 

 difficult to lure with the fly, lying as they do 

 in the flats rather than in the streams, at the 

 early part of the season. 



In three or four hours' fishing I have often 

 landed only about half a dozen trout, while 

 upon other days I have in the same time 

 killed from two to four dozen, averaging about 

 ^ Ib., and in addition have returned to the 

 water ten or twelve smaller fish. 



The March-brown continues to rise until 

 nearly the middle of April, but soon after that 

 fly-fishing for trout becomes for a while rather 

 uncertain sport, for all the best fish will be 

 hunting among the stones for the creeper (the 

 pseudo-imago of the stone-fly) as he shifts his 



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